Sarah Palin's Safari Club Speech Addresses Second Amendment Rights, Tucson Tragedy

Sarah Palin spoke about Second Amendment rights while addressing members of the Safari Club, an international hunting organization, on Saturday night in Reno, Nev., the Reno Gazette Journal reports.

The former Alaska governor's remarks on the contentious issue came in a 40-minute speech delivered to roughly 2,000 guests dressed in formal attire, according to the local outlet. Tickets for the event reportedly cost $100.

The Daily Beast reports:

But in the middle of a story about her daughter's stint on Dancing with the Stars, Palin is suddenly reminded of the pachyderm in the room--"this recent talk coming from the White House," as she puts it, "about President Obama's attempts to perhaps infringe further upon our Second Amendment rights." Somewhere, a man boos, and a few others follow his lead. Palin nods in agreement. "We need to keep tabs on what the White House is telling us," she continues. "Just think if we had even stricter gun control laws!"

The Gazette Journal reports:

But Palin emphasized the importance of local governments in setting policy.

"The best (management) is local" not "bureaucrats thousand of miles away" in Washington making the decisions, she said, drawing on her experience as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, before becoming that state's governor.

Organizers of the annual Safari Club event announced Palin's appearance less than one week following the tragic shooting in Tucson, Ariz. in which Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot and numerous others were left wounded or killed.

Palin's initial response to the tragedy sparked criticism from both sides of the aisle. In a nearly 8-minute video address, the conservative favorite expressed sympathy for the victims; however, she also lashed out at those who suggested her role in politics -- and specifically a crosshairs map released by her PAC during the 2010 midterm election season -- could have contributed to vitriolic political discourse pervading the country in the wake of the violence.

"Especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn," she said. "That is reprehensible."

In her first interview after making the comments, Palin declined an opportunity to walk back her words. The New York Times reported on what she had to say during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News:

She dismissed suggestions that she did not know the historical significance of the phrase.

"Blood libel obviously means being falsely accused of having blood on your hands and in this case," Ms. Palin said, "that's exactly what was going on."

The AP reported at the time:

Palin said her political action committee's use of crosshairs to identify targeted congressional districts for Republican pickups was not original and has been used by Democrats. As she spoke, a Democratic map was shown on the screen with circular targets of districts Democrats wanted to win.

The former governor said the crosshairs graphic was taken down by the PAC's hired graphic artist after the criticism began. "I don't think that was inappropriate," she said.

In the speech she delivered to members of the Safari Club, Palin also didn't shy away from addressing the tragedy in Arizona. The Hill recently noted that the former Alaska governor would likely be watched to see if she alluded to the incident in her address.

"My heart of course aches for the families of those who lost their lives at the hands of a deranged evil criminal, OK," she said, the Daily Beast reports. "And like you I'm praying for the victims, for their full recovery, watching in amazement reports of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, pulling for her, so thankful that her life was spared."

Palin went on to share what appeared to be a take-away point for her following the incident. She said, "We must not allow this tragedy to stifle our constitutionally protected rights," adding, "including our Second Amendment rights. Beware of what's coming."

Click here to read more details from the Daily Beast's report on the event and Palin's speech.

Comments

[Yenzer]

07:31 AM on 02/03/2011

Feb 3 Day 3 "No Comment"”

[slowuncle]

10:03 PM on 02/02/2011

this is a woman who could be stomping kittens,and all the while shrieking that SHE'S the victim

that's a real talent

[Ron Booth]

08:57 PM on 02/02/2011

REMINDER: This is 'Palin Free February' please refrain from clicking on or commenting on any SP stories UNLESS 'She Who Garners Far Too Much Undeserved Media Attention' officially announces she will or will not run for POTUS.

At the very least please try to restrict comments to "Sarah Who?"

[AmericanLeslie]

01:29 PM on 02/02/2011

The mere thought of SP addressing the Safari Club is a hoot - especially since just a few months ago she thought safaris took place in the country of Africa.

[Yenzer]

11:45 AM on 02/02/2011

Feb 2 Day 2 "No Comment"

[Yenzer]

11:13 PM on 02/01/2011

Feb 1, 2011 "No Comment"

[Samuel Albert Chung]

10:48 PM on 02/01/2011

9 REASONS TO BAN GUNS
1. Any self-loading small arm can legitimately be considered to be a
"weapon of mass destruction" or an "assault weapon."
2. Ordinary people in the presence of guns turn into slaughtering butchers
but revert to normal when the weapon is removed.
3. Most people can't be trusted, so we should have laws against guns, which
most people will abide by because they can be trusted.
4. Police operate with backup within groups, which is why they need larger
capacity pistol magazines than do "civilians" who must face criminals alone
and therefore need less ammunition.
5. Private citizens don't need a gun for self- protection because the
police are there to protect them even though the Supreme Court says the
police are not responsible for their protection.
6. Citizens don't need to carry a gun for personal protection but police
chiefs, who are desk-bound administrators who work in a building filled with
cops, need a gun.
7. "Assault weapons" have no purpose other than to kill large numbers of
people. The police need assault weapons. You do not.
8. "The Constitution is strong and will never change." But we should ban
and seize all guns thereby violating the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendments to
that Constitution.
9. When confronted by violent criminals, you should "put up no defense -
give them what they want, or run" (Handgun Control Inc. Chairman Pete
Shields, Guns Don't Die - People Do, 1981, p. 125).

[PatA]

01:16 AM on 02/02/2011

for someone who is so fond of guns, she sure doesn't know how to handle one. not knowing where the safety was? or how to eject the shell? shaking head........sarah, you are full of hot air.

[Ed and Deb Shapiro]

10:11 PM on 02/01/2011

someone should ask Sarah Palin directly:

are you or are you not going to make a run for the Presidency in 2012

no beating around the bush -

[rkmxxx]

10:08 PM on 02/01/2011

Hey!!! We're boycotting that big mouth for the month, cut it out.

[lw1]

09:47 PM on 02/01/2011

The circular "targets" look like targets....archery or dart targets not gun targets. To bad Laughner didn't show up with a bow and arrow.

[prodemlib]

07:27 PM on 02/01/2011

Meh. $arah Palin, the Whiner from Waslilla......hope she keeps talking...the more she talks, the less people like her.

[jay7308]

06:54 PM on 02/01/2011

Palin shouting "Obama is coming after your guns" to a crowd of gun nuts is like tossing a match into pool of gasoline, not to mention it's not even true. But in this overheated environment, it's only a matter of time before one of her demented followers attempts the inevitable.

[ocrmom59]

09:28 PM on 02/01/2011

I hope not because she will just blame the media again but she may not get off as lucky as she did before. Palin is now trying to find her way back and like the republicans an dteaparties she do not know how.

She will start throwing more things out there for the world to hear and turn and deaf ear too and it will not sit well with her. As all around her start crumbling down she will not know how to handle it. Now she has too many fires to put out and cannot put out any of them. On the one hand she got the rumors of Todd and on the other hand she is dening them. Then her b ook is not selling like she thought it would and she have ran out of fairy tales to write about. Her followers have straight out said that she was not president material and you know that hurt. Her polls numbers are down and now she cannot even make those big bucks speaking engagement anymore. $100 a plate is a real drop from the top $$$$ she was getting.

She can't even embrass the first lady any more without all parties jumping down her throat and you know that must really hurt being second to the first lady. Even her women in her circle is trying their best to out do her by seeing who can talk the dumbest. Go figure.

[PatA]

06:02 PM on 02/02/2011

fanned and faved, ocromom59!! love the statement about coming in second behind Michelle Obama with "her own party". :-)

[Michael Lindley]

06:46 PM on 02/01/2011

After all, Sarah, owning any gun is FAR more important than a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

[Cailleach Echo]

06:18 PM on 02/01/2011

As usual, this is all about Poor Victim $$arah. And, don't you dare talk about Poor Victim $$arah's beloved children whose care gets farmed out and who she never misses an opportunity to talk about.

As for Safari Club,they represent the worst in so-called "sport hunting". They're only interest is in blowing away the biggest, the most rare individual animal so they can nail it's head on the wall.

[ThankGodhesgone]

06:04 PM on 02/01/2011

"Just think if we had even stricter gun control laws!"

Yeah, Laughner wouldn't have been able to buy a gun.

[Cailleach Echo]

06:32 PM on 02/01/2011

Here's what Tucson thinks -

http://dynamic.azstarnet.com/comments/viewcomments.php?id=/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_07822e43-7fe4-5f67-904c-a0cb6c8bc1d4.html&h=Brewer%20adamant%20on%20AZ%20gun%20laws%20as%20videos%20show%20possible%20lax%20sales

[ThankGodhesgone]

07:22 PM on 02/01/2011

Thanks for the link. I read the first page of comments. Seems to be some for and against. Many comments were removed.

Think I'll stay away from Arizona.