Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
You've probably heard by now that Sarah Palin's church in Wasila was burned and it looks like a case of arson. I certainly hope that the police find the person or people responsible and that they are punished to the full extent of the law. Such violence is never justified. The Boston Edge reports that several right wing blogs are now trying to blame the fire, with no evidence whatsoever, on "the left" and specifically on gays.
They link to this blog, Men for Palin, with this dizzying bit of "reasoning":
The fact that this hate crime was committed against a church attended by a prominent politician points toward a political motivation. I think that we can eliminate the "Christian Right" as the crime was committed against a predominantly white evangelical Protestant church. I think that we can eliminate the mushy middle: They are too squeamish to resort to violence. That leaves the left.Well, who on the left has been using threats, force and intimidation in the past six weeks? With most of the left doing an endzone dance after the election of BHO, there is only one group that remains desperately and bitterly in need of therapy and medication: The gay and lesbian "civil rights" coalitions. They are and have been angry and on the move since the passage of Proposition 8 in California.
If the church was the victim of arson, and that appears likely, it's reasonable to believe that it may well have been done by a political enemy of Sarah Palin - not certain, of course, but that's a reasonable working hypothesis. Which means that it may well have been done by someone on "the left."
Where this becomes entirely unreasonable is when it's aimed at gays specifically and especially at gay rights groups, and when one believes that this somehow can be blamed on everyone who opposed Palin or everyone on "the left." That's where this crosses from reasonable inference to convenient and illogical conclusions to feed one's political biases.
Much has been made of a few isolated incidents at gay rights rallies in protest of the passage of Prop 8 in California. The right wing press has been wildly exaggerating those few incidents. What happened at Mt. Hope Church in Lansing, for example, was absolutely wrong in my view. Those who infiltrated the church and disrupted the service deserve to be arrested for trespassing for what they did. But it wasn't terrorism, as many hysterical people have claimed, nor was there any violence whatsoever.
Much has also been made of an elderly woman who was shouted down at an anti-Prop 8 rally and had this giant cross she had taken out of her hand and thrown to the ground. Should the people there have done that? No. But this woman intentionally went into the middle of a gay rights rally with a giant cross to preach at people. Did she expect them to be welcoming of her? That isn't much different from what the anarchist group did in the church in Lansing, is it?
Yeah, she should have been treated better than she was; they shouldn't have taken the big cardboard cross away from her. But reading the reaction from right wing blogs, you'd think they assaulted her and beat her up when they didn't do anything like that. They were angry and they shouted her down, which is inevitable when you deliberately go in to a situation like that to provoke people.
And if you want to see people become seriously unhinged about all of this, look at this:
A conservative Canadian Web site called Canadian Sentinel, which is illustrated with a photo of a house cat peering through the scope of a sniper rifle, also denounced the "violence" of the gay and lesbian equality movement.In a Dec. 14 article headlined "Hateful Arsonists Torch Palin's Church. 'Gay' Terrorists Possibly Involved," the Canadian Sentinel declared, "The radically hateful, extremist and, now, violent (yes, violent!) homosexual movement is on the warpath and it can be suspected that they're responsible for hatefully burning the Church Sarah Palin attends."
Added the Canadian Sentinel article, "There's no shortage of online coverage of the hatefulness, violence and sheer murderous dangerousness of the radically fascist, now terroristic, homosexual movement."
The article went on, "It needs to be exposed before they start murdering people on the basis of their religious orientation or race (the militant 'gays' are also, as I reported previously herein, spewing hateful racial epithets (like the 'n' word) against and threatening any and all Blacks they find)."
Added the article, "I say they should be considered a suspect as they are known as a de-facto terrorist group who is on record as threatening to do exactly that sort of thing."...
"We must be ever-vigilant against hateful, violent supremacists so as to prevent them from discriminating against, bashing and murdering members of identifiable groups they hate.
"And the militant homosexual movement is no different from the 'White' supremacist movement, no different from neo-Nazis, no different from Islamic terrorists."
I'll take ridiculous overreactions for $1000, Alex. I don't doubt that if this was an arson, it was probably set by some extremist nut that could be placed on "the left." But the right has plenty of its own extremist nuts too, folks.
Politics
Comments
Why have they so quickly ruled out witches?
Posted by: MPM | December 18, 2008 9:45 AM
I suspect that if arson, it will turn out to be someone with a local grudge. I see absolutely no reason to even remotely suspect someone on "the left", simply because there is so little track record of that kind of criminality there. A right wing nutcase seems far more likely.
Posted by: william e emba | December 18, 2008 9:58 AM
I can't see this as being caused by someone who opposed her political views on the national level. The fire happened more than a month after she LOST the election! Why would someone want to do it after she was taken out of their interests? I agree with william e emba, this was most likely someone with a personal/local grudge.
Posted by: llDayo | December 18, 2008 10:17 AM
What, gays in Wasila? Who'd of thunk it.
Posted by: Rodney | December 18, 2008 10:23 AM
My guess? The arsonist was either starved for attention or simply mentally ill. If this was a political stunt, the arsonist would have probably left something behind, like an Obama poster or graffiti. I'm betting the culprit will turn out to be some random wacko, and the right wing blogs will assume the wacko was gay.
Posted by: Brandon | December 18, 2008 10:25 AM
Wait - I don't get it - Palan is still relevant?
Posted by: yoshi | December 18, 2008 10:29 AM
I have one: Eric Rudolph.
Right-wing nut who murdered innocent people in the name of the "pro life" movement.
There is evil all over the place. It's certainly not the province of either the left or the right.
Posted by: John H. | December 18, 2008 10:33 AM
Leeds Looney Leftist leaflet proclaims:
"Palin burns down [her] own Church!
[In d]esperate bid to extend her 15 minutes [of fame]."
Cue outrage from Professor Heddle in 5.. - :D DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | December 18, 2008 10:37 AM
It may have been the same guy that cut a backwards "B" into the face of a McCain campaign worker.
Posted by: Brian Larnder | December 18, 2008 10:52 AM
Of course, we also have to consider a failed exorcism. Does hellfire count as arson?
Posted by: Badger3k | December 18, 2008 11:03 AM
"It needs to be exposed before they start murdering people on the basis of their religious orientation or race"
I actually did a double-take after reading this irony (or hypocrisy).
Posted by: catgirl | December 18, 2008 11:04 AM
Yay, the wild speculation game, my favorite! Lets see, how about the minister raped a young boy on the alter and lit the fire to destroy the crime scene evidence. Oh, I've got it. Joseph William Warner, an arsonist pardoned by Bush, did it in retaliation. "I deserved to be behind bars," he'll be quoted as saying.
Posted by: Abby Normal | December 18, 2008 11:08 AM
GODDIDIT!
Solved, yes?
Whadda ya mean no? Were you there? - ;) DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | December 18, 2008 11:14 AM
I love how all these macho, right-wing, "god, guts, and guns" types are pissing their pants in fear of the violent gays running wild in the streets.
("The Violent Gays" would be a good name for a band.)
Posted by: Taz | December 18, 2008 11:20 AM
My own thought on the church fire is that it was set by some McCain supoprter who is upset at Palin for making him lose the election.
Posted by: mr P | December 18, 2008 11:23 AM
So since it was a FAR right wing church that got torched, it must have been the left. I mean right wing kooks never do things like that, I mean Timothy McVeigh and colleagues simply bombed a left wing government building in liberal ol' Oklahoma. As Vizzini said "Its inconceivable!"
Posted by: Lorax | December 18, 2008 11:26 AM
I don't even see any reason to jump to the conclusion that this act was politically-motivated. Yes, Palin is an extremely polarizing figure, but until we have a suspect, I think it's more prudent to assume the guilty party is a general nut, not necessarily a political one.
Posted by: Sadie Morrison | December 18, 2008 11:53 AM
It couldn't have been a leftist: My sister moved out several years ago, and she was the last one.
Oh, and I thought Sarah was never a member and hardly ever attended any more. So in what sense is this Sarah Palin's church? I think it was just some random starbursts that got out of control.
Posted by: kehrsam | December 18, 2008 12:04 PM
Maybe they forgot to take a witch outside before they put the match to her?
It's entirely possible Palin going to that church had nothing to do with the arson.
There might've been one of those internal power struggles churches are so well known for and the losing side didn't take losing gracefully. It wouldn't be the first time.
It's also not that much of a stretch to wonder if it might've been some right wing nutjob that was stalking Palin. Pretty sure she's gotten a lot of mail from these wankers declaring their undying love. Perhaps her lack of a response was too much for one of them?
Posted by: JThompson | December 18, 2008 12:11 PM
"And the militant homosexual movement is no different from the 'White' supremacist movement, no different from neo-Nazis, no different from Islamic terrorists."
Except that we're more than happy to admit we're gay.
Posted by: JED | December 18, 2008 12:14 PM
If only it were that easy. I've been trying to eliminate my mushy middle for years!
Posted by: chris | December 18, 2008 12:24 PM
As others have said, I see little reason to suppose that it was a politically motivated crime carreid by a left-winger. It would just as easily have been done by someone who holds a grudge against the pastor, or a shark to whom the pastor owes money, or anything like that.
Posted by: Valhar2000 | December 18, 2008 12:34 PM
My (admittedly) limited experience with church boards is that they brew discontent easily among themselves. One faction wants to put up play equipment, another faction gets nervous about the insurance. Small mean crap that festers and grows into full blown hatred. I vote for disgruntled church members pissed off at losing a board vote on something. Wasilla's too far from anything to make a point. Hell, Alaska's too far.
Posted by: Mike | December 18, 2008 12:41 PM
No different if you don't count pesky trivialities like human deaths.
I know this is off-topic, Ed, but I assume you've heard about Paul Weyrich's death by now. I was curious if you were planning on addressing that.
Posted by: Sadie Morrison | December 18, 2008 12:45 PM
Maybe whoever did it had no agenda at all...maybe it was just some wackaloon who set a fire as an act of pure vandalism. Or a disgruntled former parishioner. Or yes, maybe some nutter who thinks they are making some big 'political statement'. We really have no idea yet.
Arson is arson, and the purpotrator needs to be apprehended and prosecuted. Doesn't matter if they're gay or strait or left or right or theist or atheist or green or purple.
Posted by: Dave S. | December 18, 2008 12:57 PM
Denied basic human rights by will of the majority, a minority group becomes violent and seeks retaliation. Though most members of the minority decry such behavior, a dedicated group of them views vandalism, harassment, and potentially physical assault as justifiable in the name of protesting their persecution.
...and we're surprised? The Canadian Sentinel's got it backwards. If gays are becoming violent, the proper analogy is not to white supremacists-- it's to the Black Panthers. We could call them Pink Panthers if not for the copyright infringement.
Posted by: Gretchen | December 18, 2008 12:58 PM
Sure, I can follow their logic: Flaming Arson.
Posted by: CW | December 18, 2008 1:19 PM
HTML ate my arrows, must remember to preview. "Flaming <=> Arson"
Posted by: CW | December 18, 2008 1:23 PM
Given the blaming it on the gays, I hope the liberal churches especially those open to gays in the Wasilla area are protected from those who might think tit for tat. Admittedly all in the area should be careful since this might be a serial arsonist who doesn't care what he burns.
Checking the local newspaper, most of the local people commenting there seem think it is local. http://www.frontiersman.com/
Posted by: Erp | December 18, 2008 1:36 PM
Of course someone "on the left" did it.
From the standpoint of Palin supporters the morons of Aryan Nation are centrists.
Meanwhile, as a Canadian, I'm quaking in my boots for fear that teh gay terrorists will break into my home, replace my guns with loofahs, install track lighting, and fill my fridge with quiche and chardonnay ... Or worse, light beer!
If stupid actually burned we'd have a source of clean energy sufficient to light all of Alaska simply by hooking up right-wing blogs and media to the grid.
Posted by: Metro | December 18, 2008 1:47 PM
Not to defend Palin supporters, but that's bullshit.
Posted by: Sadie Morrison | December 18, 2008 3:06 PM
"We must be ever-vigilant against hateful, violent supremacists so as to prevent them from discriminating against, bashing and murdering members of identifiable groups they hate."
Irony meter: SHPROIIIINGGG!!!!
Posted by: SharonB | December 18, 2008 3:26 PM
The Boston Edge reports that several right wing blogs are now trying to blame the fire, with no evidence whatsoever, on "the left" and specifically on gays.
Prop 8 passes, so let's blame the Mormons! And, if we can't get our way, let's throw temper tantrums and block traffic!
Posted by: Señor Snarky | December 18, 2008 3:27 PM
"We must be ever-vigilant against hateful, violent supremacists so as to prevent them from discriminating against, bashing and murdering members of identifiable groups they hate."
Irony meter: SHPROIIIINGGG!!!!
Posted by: SharonB | December 18, 2008 3:29 PM
The Boston Edge reports that several right wing blogs are now trying to blame the fire, with no evidence whatsoever, on "the left" and specifically on gays.
Prop 8 passes, so let's blame the Mormons! And, if we can't get our way, let's throw temper tantrums and block traffic!
Posted by: Señor Snarky | December 18, 2008 3:29 PM
Not as good as "Gays Running Wild".
Posted by: noncarborundum | December 18, 2008 3:30 PM
Actually, the Christian Right had opportunity and motive. Opportunity: it's their church, they attend it every Sunday. Motive: Palin made them look like a bunch of intolerant, stupid hippocretins who raise drug abusing sons and daughters who are the class slut.
Fire bombing is also their modus operandi. For evidence, you need look no further than Iraq.
Posted by: What Would Hay-Seus Do? | December 18, 2008 3:35 PM
I, for one, would gladly watch a few DVDs of "Gays Gone Wild."
Posted by: Sadie Morrison | December 18, 2008 3:37 PM
Eff you, snarky.
And the patronizing self-righteous little horse you rode in on!
Peaceful protest is EXACTLY like arson. Whatta you know about having real rights taken away from you? Anyone else but GLBT Americans WOULD have reacted with real violence. As a group, it's just not in us! Pr*cks like you know this, so your little dig is particularly vulgar.
.
Posted by: SharonB | December 18, 2008 3:39 PM
Stupid people on horseback? Centaurs with low IQ's?
Posted by: noncarborundum | December 18, 2008 3:48 PM
Posted by: Taz | December 18, 2008 3:54 PM
I only wish I could take credit, but alas, no.
God sure does work in mysterious ways though. Where's Pat Robertson on this one? Doesn't this mean that God hates Christian churches?
Posted by: John K. | December 18, 2008 4:04 PM
I know Caribou Barbie has never read a book in her life, but surely someone must have told her about the Reichstag Fire. Occam's Razor, people!
Posted by: Lurkbot | December 18, 2008 4:08 PM
Re Paul Weyrich
It would be fitting if he died of AIDS.
Posted by: SLC | December 18, 2008 4:34 PM
It was the Debil done it.
See, when casting out demons one day something was lacking and the demons weren't cast far enough out. They fetched up just under the floor boards and found refuge in the bodies of some small mammals living there. At some point all the critters gathered in one corner and spontaneously combusted.
The investigation will find many small corpses done to a crisp and the raging right will never even notice.
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | December 18, 2008 4:53 PM
I would like to think it is one of us Church Burnin' Ebola Boys striking again - but I am afraid that is probably just another thief for Jesus, burning down the church for the insurance money.
And I like Teh Witches for #2.
Posted by: J-Dog | December 18, 2008 4:53 PM
Wasn't this the same thing they said immediately after that guy w/ all the books by O'Reilly, Hannity and Weiner shot up that Unitarian church?
Posted by: tincture | December 18, 2008 5:41 PM
"Men For Palin"?????
Maybe the fire happened because Gov. Palin is SO SMOKIN HAWT that she walked into church and it just -
WENT UP IN FLAMES!!!
Yeah that's it!
Posted by: T.Bruce McNeely | December 18, 2008 5:47 PM
Many LGBT blogs have posted article links and film coverage attesting to the fact that the senior woman w/ the cross had pushed a disabled person over in an attempt to get on stage, with the news opting to go the sensationalist angle of only showing footage of the response. Get your facts right on this one, Ed, this woman was also apparently well known for grandstanding to call attention to her anti-gay message in the community. She had a sign smashed. Big deal. It wasn't assault. It wasn't even that mean or vindictive. She was not physically threatened or harmed in any way, nor was she in realistic danger of it. It was undoubtedly the type of treatment she deserved, polite concessions to the harmless-little-old-lady myth don't help anyone.
Posted by: Dr. Matthew | December 18, 2008 5:50 PM
@Sadie Morrison
Well, hyperbole anyway, and intentionally so.But certainly she draws support from a coterie of people who don't understand the problem with spelling "black" with two "g"s.
Posted by: Metro | December 18, 2008 7:33 PM
Not that I would ever do such a thing, but if I wanted to burn a fundamoron church, I wouldn't go all the way to Alaska to do it.
I suspect that the culprit is some teenager whose sex/drugs/rock and roll lifestyle was exposed to his parents by the minister, whose daughter had a fit of the guilties.
Posted by: BaldApe | December 18, 2008 7:45 PM
Perhaps we've been taking to narrow a view here. So far all the theories are of a domestic nature. I know we Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world. But perhaps we should look outside our boarder for the culprit, like to Russia. We all know that those sneaky Ruskies secretly long to return to their godless communist ways. Maybe they got tired of having a church obstruct their view on a clear day.
Or maybe a Syrian terrorist, trained in Lebanon, flew a fully fueled model plane into it. If so we might finally have that pretext we've been looking for to go to war with Iran.
Then there's always the South Park option, blame Canada.
Posted by: Abby Normal | December 18, 2008 7:54 PM
Fair enough. I missed the point, and I apologize.
And I'd like to chime in with everyone else in addressing Señor Snarky's comment. We have concrete evidence that Mormon money helped contribute to the passage of Prop. 8; gays, lesbians, and anyone else with a mind toward equal rights has every right (and perhaps even moral obligation) to civil protest. Regarding Palin's church fire, however, we don't even have a suspect, much less one that can be identified in terms of political ideology or sexual orientation. El Señor, your analogy has crashed and burned.
Posted by: Sadie Morrison | December 18, 2008 8:34 PM
I called it first!!!!
Posted by: Happy Spirochete | December 18, 2008 8:59 PM
Happy- ahem
Posted by: DingoJack | December 18, 2008 11:14 AM
Posted by: DingoJack | December 18, 2008 9:35 PM
Obsidian Wings has a prettier picture of a sniper cat, and the slogan "This is the Voice of Moderation. I wouldn't go so far as to say we've actually SEIZED the radio station . . . "
Posted by: bad Jim | December 18, 2008 9:46 PM
The arsonist will probably show up in a couple days with a backwards "B" carved in their face, crying that a liberal forced them to burn the church down..
Posted by: AlphaNoN | December 18, 2008 11:36 PM
Homosexuals have always burned Christian churches, but this has gone unreported by the pro-homosexual media. The only reason Sarah Paliin's church is reported is because of who she is.
Homosexuals are violent sexual degenerates who the Holy Bible condemns to eternal hell fire unless they turn from their wicked sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour
SAY THIS PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am a sinner and am headed to eternal hell because of my sins. I believe you died on the cross to take away my sins and to take me to heaven. Jesus, I ask you now to come into my heart and take away my sins and give me eternal life.
Posted by: Rev Donald Spitz | December 19, 2008 12:03 AM
Wait... nobody's blamed the moose yet?
Posted by: TheEngima32 | December 19, 2008 12:21 AM
Gay! It's the new Communist!
Posted by: Ferrous Patella | December 19, 2008 12:42 AM
Spitz, isn't there some biblical commandment against lying through your teeth?
Posted by: Sadie Morrison | December 19, 2008 12:43 AM
Hmm, I'm going to have to check but I suspect this sets a new record for the ratio of amount of wrong contained within a sentiment to the number of words used to express the sentiment.
Care to cite any evidence for this utter falsehood, Spitz? Oops, I did it again - I forgot I was dealing with a xian. Why rely on 'facts' or 'evidence' when you can just make shit up to suit the lies you and your woo-addled co-religionists spread on a daily basis.
I guess Spitz is another who needs a refresher course about bearing false witness.
Posted by: Wowbagger | December 19, 2008 12:50 AM
I call Poe on Spitz's drivel
Posted by: Twin-Skies | December 19, 2008 3:52 AM
It was angry Christmas Elves. Militant, hateful Elves. If you were that short you'd be militant and angry too.
Posted by: Alchemist | December 19, 2008 4:39 AM
For all we've read about Palin as a mayor and governor, it seems she's extremely good at at least one things: making herself enemies. There seems to be so many toes she's stepped on, that it's rather a case of too many suspects in my opinion.
Posted by: Christophe Thill | December 19, 2008 5:41 AM
Ed:
There are times when the evidence is right there in front of us; to wit, the WSB's weekly schedule:
Friday, December 12, 2008
5:00 PM--Potluck dinner (menu includes, harpseal terrine, narwhal tartare, saddle of airsniped wolf and lime jelloil mold)
6:00 PM--Witch Whackin' Workshop with the Rev. John Muthee
7:00 PM--Speakin' In Tongues Gospel Karaoke
8:30 PM--Joel's Army, Kristian Kadet Korps--an exciting demonstration of the U.S. Army's M2A1-7 flamethrower, bring the s'mores!
7:00 PM--
Posted by: democommie | December 19, 2008 9:01 AM
As far as the perpetrator, I found a better theory in Panel 2 here... ;-)
Posted by: David Harmon | December 19, 2008 9:13 AM
I'm afraid I've lost another irony meter. A member of the Army of God just called homosexuals violent.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | December 19, 2008 9:57 AM
Rev from God's Army,
What is the point of coming on this site and stating what you stated? If someone burned the church they should be punished. To jump to the conclusion that it was a gay person is wrong. To come on here and say all gays are violent is crazy.
I assure you that this is not God's message. If you are so right about this lets go to Mecca and preach what you say here. I defend your right to say it but wish you would not take advantage of those rights in this way. I am a Christian and have gone and shared about God in places where I could have been killed. I regret most of what I shared because it was a message I no longer support in that it basically calls most of humanity pieces of shit and tells them to be like the Sunday crowd.
Back up you assertion that all gays are violent. You sure are quick to throw the first stone.
Posted by: King of Ireland | December 19, 2008 7:42 PM
Echoing all of what has been said to the dear "Rev", I have to note:
This isn't an appropriate response to the idiocy displayed in the above comment - in fact, the claim that all Christians do what the "Rev" has done (with the implication that it is perhaps intentional) is blatantly untrue at worst and unsupported by facts and evidence at best (which is a tad ironic, in my opinion).
Can we stick to using reason and logic instead of responding emotionally? That'd be nice, thanks.
Posted by: The Christian Cynic | December 19, 2008 8:03 PM
Arson of churches, considering what I see in the news, comes in three flavors.
Most recently a frustrated white guy burned a predominantly black church that was near his house. Shades of the 60s hate crime perhaps but he was also a heavy drinker so boisterous early AM services conflicting with a hangover and nocturnal lifestyle was reported to have played a part.
A bit farther back a teenager burned a church. Later it turned out his mother had gone from loving and responsible matriarch/ business woman to a prayer/God/afterlife obsessed culture warrior/harpy that destroyed or gave away all of her family's possessions that weren't God centered, started feeding her family a 'Biblical diet', gave away the families savings (called planting a seed in evangelical terminology), and started going to the church two or three times a day seven days a week. The kid struck back at the church that took away his mother.
Even farther back during a rare bitterly cold stretch here in Florida a drifter started burning churches that uncharitably kept their doors locked. He didn't burn churches that had let him in to warm up or sleep overnight.
I neither condone nor justify any such arson but in the above cases the reasoning isn't entirely alien.
It will be interesting to see how this case shakes out. I note that in all three cases above the initial reports were all about outrage at anyone burning a church. Only later did a more nuances view and inside information come out.
Posted by: Art | December 19, 2008 8:14 PM
This is my last post on an Ed Brayton thread. It seems clear to me that his plan to get commentators on his blog is to insult people such that they will reply in the thread to defend themselves.
This sort of reminds of The Game/Mystery Method where immature males insult women to get them to "demonstrate their value" hoping to eventually guide them into the position where they must sleep with the creep to be viewed as "valuable" in the gamer/letch's eyes.
Yes, I feel like I need to take a long hot shower after replying in an Ed Brayton blog. Thus, this is my last one.
I'll just end by saying, conservatives, religious folks and heterosexuals are all nice people; as liberals, atheists and homosexuals are equally very nice people. Please stop trying to divide us for the purposes of getting comments in your blog.
Posted by: Johnrap | December 22, 2008 5:17 PM