Words are important. Language enables us to communicate ideas.
You can’t throw out “blood libel” and expect to get away with it.
Obviously, Mrs. Palin intended to cause a commotion when she used the term in her idiotically self-serving speech about the shootings in Arizona. Beyond its historical meaning, I figured it had to be some sort of right-wing code word. In a thorough discussion of the term at wordiq.com, I learned that:
The use of blood libel has been adopted by certain groups to promote their agendas, particularly on the far right of the political spectrum. In the United States, this is especially noticeable in the most extreme fringes of the anti-abortion movement, which has produced a litany of charges against doctors performing the procedure.
Ha!
Searching my vocabulary for words that describe my moral and physical disgust, I find Mrs. Palin has presented a real challenge. How can I convey how much I hate her?! Is there a word in some other language that would do the job? If you know any, please share them!
Meanwhile, I’m going to call my feeling “palinschmerz.” It is the pain and weariness caused by the reality of Palin’s existence. *
