It was one year ago, on December 12, 2008, that the church Sarah Palin’s family attends was torched:
WASILLA — Whoever torched Gov. Sarah Palin’s home church tried to start fires in several places around the building, the federal agency assisting in the investigation said Monday.
Accelerants were found in multiple locations on the outside of Wasilla Bible Church, including around entrances and exits, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The fire was responsible for an estimated $1 million in damage to the building and endangered the lives of the five church members who were inside when the building was torched. Fortunately, the arsonists fire alarm was still working and warned those inside, and they were able to get out safely.
This one year anniversary is one of shame. It is always shameful when someone harbors such hate that they would try to burn down a house of God. But it’s doubly shameful that authorities from the federal level on down don’t even have a suspect in the case:
The Wasilla Police Department is leading the ongoing investigation, but none of the leads they’ve chased so far have ended up panning out.
“The investigation is still open, and we’re still asking the public to contact us if anybody has heard anything,” Deputy Chief Greg Wood said.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the state fire marshal’s office both assisted in the initial investigation, and the state crime laboratory collected evidence at the scene.
[...]
“We don’t have any new leads right now, but we’re still looking,” Wood said.
The reluctance of the lamestream media to report on the arson is shameful also. It is to the credit of The Alaska Dispatch — not Palin-friendly by any means — that it published an update on the unsolved crime earlier this month.
But we’re reminded of Glenn Beck’s observations shortly after the fire:
Do you think it would lead the news if Barack Obama’s old church had been burned down, the church of Jeremiah Wright? Do you think that would have led the news? A man who’s already blaming the government for creating AIDS to kill African-Americans, imagine what he would be saying into any camera that would tape him. Not only would the media suddenly find a way to make a front page story in every single paper, this would squarely be blamed on “hateful” people like Sarah Palin, not to mention there would be calls to get rid of talk radio already today.
The most disturbing thing about the arson, however, is that the person or persons who are responsible are still on the loose and probably emboldened because they got away with their hate crime scot-free. What will they try next?
- JP
Daniel Horowitz
Neil Stevens
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Jake Walker
CNN covered it
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 4:56PM EST (link)Well I know everything in your world is about how SWMNBN is a victim and all, but the MSM covered the story when it happened.
CNN did and a bunch of others if you care to Google it.
As to who did it, could have been anyone, or no one, unless you have other information. A person seeking attention, someone who does not like SWMNBN, any number of possibles. If you have more facts please share them, but as a matter of shame not so much. Unless you are trying to blame the Fire and Police, and the ATF and probably Secret Service for not doing a thorough job of investigating to try to catch the criminal who started the fire.
Shame that everyone shares would be any burning of any house of worship, SWMNBN’s church, Black Churches in the South, or any other house of worship in this country. Of course it does not fit the story of the continued victimhood of SWMNBN, so never mind.
______________________________________
Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
"Black Churches in the South..."
Jack_Savage (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 6:14PM EST (link)Largely a myth, Steve. Seriously.
Real facts
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 6:28PM EST (link)Jack
From a Christian Science Monitor article on the topic.
“Nearly 1,000 churches burned between 1996 and 2000 nationwide, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Authorities nabbed about 100 suspects, a pace that has only decreased slightly.”
I did perhaps exaggerate that it’s only Black churches being burned, but it’s hardly an unknown phenomenon in this country and no matter who’s church it is, the act of burning a church is a shame we all share. The fact that SWMNBN church was attacked is no more a shame than the attack on any other house of worship.
From the article, that’s a 10 percent conviction rate, so it’s not surprising that the attack on SWMNBN’s church has not been solved or that there has not been more reporting other than the initial attack.
______________________________________
Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
Hot DOG!
Jack_Savage (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 6:39PM EST (link)I agree! kinda…
“the act of burning a church is a shame we all share.”
But I disagree with this:
“The fact that SWMNBN church was attacked is no more a shame than the attack on any other house of worship.”
I think it is very, very serious, and definitely more shameful. Not because it was Sarah Palin, but because it was an act of political terrorism, plain and simple. I don’t think anyone could make the case that if Barack Obama’s church had been burned, or even John McCain’s, it would have fallen out of the news so quickly. I believe that any sort of threat or action against any politician or public figure should be handled with the full effort and force of all government agencies that have anything to do with the incident, no matter who the victims are.
Proof of that?
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 6:45PM EST (link)Jack
So who did it, what was their motive? Are you sure it was someone who didn’t like SWMNBN, her politics, her fame, or glasses or what. Maybe it was someone who fell out with the church, maybe an unbalanced person, may a teenager who was mad at someone in the congregation, lots of suspects. I don’t know, and it’s not real clear how you’ve reached a conclusion based on no facts.
When they catch someone and the person is brought to trial those facts will be entered in evidence. When you have some facts to go with the latest edition of victimized SWMNBN, then we’ll all know the truth.
______________________________________
Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
Here is what I think
Jack_Savage (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 6:57PM EST (link)Let’s say a cop is killed. No one pursuing the killer cares what their motive was, and they shouldn’t care. There is something different about killing a cop. Period.
I really don’t care what the motive was in the Wasilla church burning. No one should care. It should not make a difference. The fact is that it was the church of a person who was running for Vice President of the United States, that is all I need to know, and it is all the information authorities need in order to make it rain down hell fire on whoever may have done it.
Don’t let your hatred of Sarah blind you into excusing or minimizing what would become a terrible, terrible precedent in so many ways.
Actually and factually wrong
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 7:09PM EST (link)Jack
A sitting Governor of a sovereign state, namely Alaska was involved. When the church was attacked the election was over, maybe you think differently, but them’s the facts.
As a simple matter of legal authority, the State Police in Alaska was the primary law enforcement agency and not any Federal government agency. I’m not smart enough about how the Alaskan State police does or does not do it’s job, but I will assume that they are competent to investigate a case of arson against a church. If they weren’t, the then sitting Governor, who was at that time Governor Palin was free to contact the US Attorney General and request Federal take over of the investigation.
Blind hatred of SWMNBN, how about disgust with PalinBots who make everything about what a Victim SWMNBN is. In the case of this attack on her home church, a sitting Governor had all the power at her fingertips to get all the law enforcement required for the a through investigation. You want to tell me that Governor Palin did not know how to exercise the power of her office as Governor of the state of Alaska?
Truthfully, I think they know who started the fire and for local community sort of reasons that person has probably not been pursued. But hey, I’m just guessing here, same as you.
______________________________________
Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
You are correct - my bad
Jack_Savage (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 7:16PM EST (link)I was sloppy with my dates. Certainly she was not running for VP.
We will just have to agree to disagree on this. I simply think it is different than an ordinary arson because of the political position – at the time of the arson, and previously – of the person who attended the church. I have no idea about what was done or not done, or whose jurisdiction it was, but it sure doesn’t seem like there was a hell of a lot of attention paid to it.
As I said above, I would hold this position regardless of which political figure belonged to this church. I doubt the reaction or LE diligence would have been the same had it been Obama’s church, McCain’s church or even Biden’s, and I think that is what the OP was saying.
One other small correction
Jack_Savage (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 6:30PM EST (link)“As to who did it, could have been anyone, or no one…”
“Anyone” is a possibility, although remote IMO. “No one” is *not* a possibility:
“Accelerants were found in multiple locations on the outside of Wasilla Bible Church, including around entrances and exits, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”
Maybe Steve meant a "nobody".
blooch Saturday, December 12th at 8:23PM EST (link)BATF…was Smirnoff the accelerant?
Anybody question Levi about this?
“Lieutenant Dike wasn’t a bad leader because he made bad decisions. He was a bad leader because he made no decisions.”
Guess you missed this part:
Josh Painter (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 5:09PM EST (link)“It is always shameful when someone harbors such hate that they would try to burn down a house of God.”
Reading comprehension, it appears, wasn’t your best subject in school…
As for the media, yeah they gave it some play — briefly. But had this been Obama’s church or even Biden’s, they would have kept the story on page one until someone was arrested for the crime.
It’s nice to see that some things at RS haven’t changed. SteveLA will save the nation from the scourge that is Sarah Palin! Watch out for those windmills, Sir Knight. They cut a mean arc.
- JP
“An armed society is a polite society” – Robert A. Heinlein, “Beyond This Horizon” (1942)
Yes things never change
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 5:33PM EST (link)Palin Bots are all about how everything, including the Sun rising in the morning, the Sun setting in the evening and just about everything else is due to the power of SWMNBN with a side of how SWMNBN is a victim.
Pretty predictable. Don’t you have a Facebook posting or some to spam here on RS?
______________________________________
Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
Don't you have Adam to go find and help McCain....
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 7:33PM EST (link)SCREW UP the Republican Party again? Pretty predictable with RINO’s!
Unified Patriots – How-To:
Activists Taking Action
SOME things never change
Josh Painter (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 6:23PM EST (link)Palin haters are all about how everyone who supports Sarah Palin is somehow a “bot”, which conveniently slams not only the former governor but millions of people who support her. Palin haters sound just like Obamabots when they spew their anti-Palin DNC talking points. The Palin hating contingent here is one reason RedState is, unfortunately and unfairly, crossed off of the list of a very large group of what would otherwise be potential RS members.
Keep up the good work. Dragging a fgreat site down must not be easy…
- JP
“An armed society is a polite society” – Robert A. Heinlein, “Beyond This Horizon” (1942)
Bitter much?
NightTwister (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 6:41PM EST (link)That’s an incredibly large chip you have on your shoulder. There are several topics that heat things up around here from time to time. One of the things that separates RedState from most of the other sites is the robust discussion that takes place. Sure, sometimes it gets out of hand, but for the most part the discussion is worthwhile.
As for the very large group of what would otherwise be potential RS members, the same could be said about the supporters of other potential future (and past) Presidential candidates. We’re probably better off without many of them.
As for Palin’s church, I’m sure all of us would agree the current Justice Department members aren’t going to be tripping over each other to find out who started the fire. That should come as no surprise.
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. – Winston Churchill
So Josh are you still on Sarah's payroll
mbecker908 (Diary) Sunday, December 13th at 12:10AM EST (link)and not bothering to disclose it – like when you were posting here before?
You’re pathetic.
This post could
aesthete (Diary) Sunday, December 13th at 5:35AM EST (link)Just as easily have been written by a Ron Paul supporter, or an acolyte of any of the candidates who gets a lot of flack among conservatives and in the Republican party. As NightTwister says above, robust discussion of a political luminary is a feature, not a bug. I don’t have a problem with calls for civility, but declaring that that discussion doesn’t need to happen is equal parts arrogant and foolish. If the putative RS members that we are alienating can’t see the merits of having this discussion, perhaps we are better off without them.
The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice – G.K. Chesterton
At least the fools who were posting for RonPaul
mbecker908 (Diary) Tuesday, December 15th at 7:46AM EST (link)weren’t on his payroll.
If this had been the Rev Wrights church the whole....
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 6:37PM EST (link)of the Federal Government would be over it inch by inch and a whole lot of people would have been rounded up by now whether guilty or not just to show that a church being burned because a candidate for elected office attended there would NOT be acceptable!
Unified Patriots – How-To:
Activists Taking Action
Read history much?
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 7:42PM EST (link)Well I realize you’re not much on reality or facts Jaded, but you might go read some history of this country and Church bombings and attacks. Start with the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham to figure out why as usual you don’t have a clue.
An attack on a predominately African American church such as Wrights would most likely draw Federal law enforcement in droves, mostly as an investigation of Civil Rights violations due to the history of this country.
Maybe too nuanced a concept for you to grasp, but here’s hoping you’ll get it instead of your usual monosyllabic myopic understanding of anything too complex.
______________________________________
Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
So here is the problem Mr. Nuance.....
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 8:03PM EST (link)I don’t have to grasp history here because it it CUT & DRIED…Sarah Palin’s church was burned because she was HATED and in this Congress and this Administration that is a HATE CRIME and if this had been his friend Wright the whole of the Federal Government would have been brought to bear.
OBTW you are correct I don’t do “nuance” that is for pu**ies and liberals so you take your nuance and nibble around the edges of the Republican Party and I will take my sledgehammer and break up the Democrat party mmmmmmkkkkyyyyyy!
Unified Patriots – How-To:
Activists Taking Action
As usual, you haven't one scintilla of evidence
Achance (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 8:32PM EST (link)that the arson had anything to do with St. Sarah. Arson is a fairly common pastime in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Also in 2008, some guy in Palmer, right down the road from Wasilla admitted to burning his house because “God told him to.” The story is here: http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=7829073 It is equally likely to be some crazy kids playing with fire. You might have heard that she was in charge of the State Troopers when she was Governor.
The Mat-Su Valley is a wild and largely lawless area. The people there are too cheap to pay for much law enforcement, a small cop shop in Wasilla and in Palmer, so they rely on the Alaska State Troopers whose three small posts cover an area larger than all but half a dozen or so states. Here’s a map of the Trooper posts: http://www.dps.state.ak.us/Ast/detachments.aspx And remember, if you cut Alaska in half, Texas would be the third largest state. They had a good sized wildfire in the Big Lake area near Wasilla a few years ago and they almost never got it put out because people kept slipping in to set fire to their house to get the insurance, got to be quite the conversation story. The State Troopers put it in the stack with the other unsolved crimes in the Mat-Su Valley and they’ll catch whoever did it eventually probably when he gets drunk in one of the watering holes and says to his buddies, “you ain’t gonna believe what I did back in ’08″ and somebody rats him off.
In Vino Veritas
Well of course Achance because it cannot be....
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 8:37PM EST (link)that is was due to it being her church it had to be a coincidence because ONCE AGAIN if one puts Sarah and ANYTHING together you must fly in and SHUT IT DOWN. You really are a pathetic piece of work. oh and as Steve would say “so predictable”. One day your bitterness will envelope you and carry you away.
Unified Patriots – How-To:
Activists Taking Action
I'm betting your stupidity gets you first. nt
Achance (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 8:40PM EST (link)In Vino Veritas
Can't we all just get along?
NightTwister (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 10:07PM EST (link)The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. – Winston Churchill
No old man I can guarantee you that your...
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Sunday, December 13th at 7:43AM EST (link)bitterness takes you first…
I and my stupidity will be here MANY, MANY MORE YEARS then you and your old bitter pathetic self. I am at least 20 years younger if not more then you. When you are sitting in your bitter crap in a wheelchair I will be running around “stupidly” enjoying the best years of my life with all my Conservative friends and you won’t be even a blip of a memory.
Unified Patriots – How-To:
Activists Taking Action
Achance that not having a scintilla of evidence for most alleged hate crimes against blacks ever stopped the libs?
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Monday, December 14th at 10:06AM EST (link)not a chance
I think jaded makes a great point
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
Is there a chance of SteveLA posting in this diary
pilgrim (Diary) Monday, December 14th at 10:45AM EST (link)A diary written by anyone other than a known Palin supporter that is about church arsons would have never received a single comment from SteveLA and Achance. We have got midterms to get through before we get to the Presidential contest, and yet some “bots” and “anti-bots” simply cannot control themselves.
No, GC, it never even slows them down.
Achance (Diary) Monday, December 14th at 11:14AM EST (link)So, now in addition to convening star chambers to determine who the “real” conservatives are, we’ll use the same evidentiary standards the left does to make that determination. OK, guess I’m starting to understand the way the “real” conservatives club works; does it meet in a treehouse?
In Vino Veritas
I am afraid of heights and so haven't visited the tree house and am against all hate crime laws, as I am sure jaded is - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Monday, December 14th at 11:53AM EST (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
And as a result gc, they have no credibility with people
mbecker908 (Diary) Tuesday, December 15th at 7:51AM EST (link)who are capable of rational thought.
In the world of things we’re dealing with this week this is a non-starter to anybody but those on Palin’s payroll.
You should have your own web site
SteveLA (Diary) Saturday, December 12th at 9:03PM EST (link)Jaded
Seriously, you should setup your own web site.
The Firelakedog for the Right side of the ditch. Full of guest editorials from people you agree with…scratch that, going to be hard to get Wally George to write from the grave. I’m sure there are people hard Right enough that you’ll agree with them.
You can use the language you really want to use and not be constrained like you are here at RS. Give us RINOS heck each and every day.
Sponsorship might be a problem however, I don’t think Reynolds Aluminum foil uses the Web to advertise. There’s always Preparation H, and BeanO.
Thank you….may I have another.
______________________________________
Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
Jaded and Ace can team up with Sharia court for wayward Republicans. nt
Achance (Diary) Sunday, December 13th at 1:07AM EST (link)In Vino Veritas
Just like you with Palin.
gekster (Diary) Sunday, December 13th at 2:45AM EST (link)Another nt
They say Republicans are for the rich, Democrats are for the poor.
If they need more voters,
then they have to make more of who they are for.
We are there in the various Tea Party groups, leaderless, but not rudderless.
We steer always toward the Constitutional principles this nation was founded upon.
Erick Brockway
Ok folks, 2012 is here. Get involved
I will refer you back to comment on nuance...
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Sunday, December 13th at 7:47AM EST (link)for what I believe you are and where you belong. I am not going anywhere lib so get used to it. You don’t like it? go hang with likeminded people you know find Adam and get busy trying to run another RINO in the general so that this time WE can just say NO to you and your ILK!
Unified Patriots – How-To:
Activists Taking Action
So, a double standard is okay?
Danielle Davis (ocleverone) (Diary) Sunday, December 13th at 9:05AM EST (link)The history of this country? When do we stop with “the history” and move forward to where any attacks on churches are investigated with the same vigor?
Be an apologist if you choose, it is certainly your right but leave the demeaning personal attacks out of the equation. They are neither warranted nor do they do provide any reinforcement of your argument.
It just makes you look like a little person with an axe to grind.
To me, “consensus” seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects … There are still people in my party who believe in “consensus” politics. I regard them as Quislings, as traitors … I mean it. — Margaret Thatcher
Kowalski - this comment was for Steve. nt.
Danielle Davis (ocleverone) (Diary) Sunday, December 13th at 9:09AM EST (link)To me, “consensus” seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects … There are still people in my party who believe in “consensus” politics. I regard them as Quislings, as traitors … I mean it. — Margaret Thatcher
Hi Josh- Good to see you
Scope (Diary) Sunday, December 13th at 10:40AM EST (link)and you are correct, some things never change. The good news is that there are a whole lot more of us than there are of them.
Obviously, I'm a noob here & I like jaded & the crew here
Veronica (Diary) Monday, December 14th at 1:03PM EST (link)I look forward to the day I can be as articulate about the inner-workings of politics as everyone here ..
But to characterize Redstate based on liking or not liking someone’s politics is pretty nefarious, especially considering the countless loser-lib and radical-activists sites that counter the cause of American freedom.
Redstate provides a valuable resource and is a great teaching tool for those who want to better understand politics.
To pull this “I’m not playing here .. with you” is childish.
Jaded has spunk, as do a lot of posters here, and although I may or may not agree with some viewpoints, we all have a right to express them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pray as if everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on us. – St. Augustine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~