I’ve told my fair share of Sarah Palin jokes over the last six-plus years. Indeed, I’ve gotten to the point where I hardly say anything about her without adding an “also.” But there’s nothing funny about a post she made to her Facebook page early on New Year’s morning Alaska time. Palin uploaded three pictures of her youngest son, Trig, using the family’s black Labrador as a foot stool to help him reach the sink.
Palin said that Trig wanted to help wash dishes. When she didn’t respond to his signals that he wanted to be lifted up, he improvised by stepping on the dog’s back so he could get to the sink. Any normal parent, any parent with even an iota of decency, would have demanded that Trig get down immediately. Not Palin. She apparently saw it as a joyous moment to be shared around the world. No, Sarah. This wasn’t joyous by any stretch. This was disgusting and classless. If any regular person would have done this, they’d probably be getting a knock on the door from the police, and possibly the child welfare authorities, before the day was out.
Palin has been deservedly sliced, diced, and julienned for these pictures. Among some of the comments on Facebook from the main post and some of the pictures:
The child is NOT TO BLAME
The ADULT IN CHARGE IS
Children, learn empathy and compassion from their first Teachers, their Parents
Step stools work great. Can’t you afford one??
For Pete’s sake! Why post this? I am a Conservative who supported Sarah. This was an unnecessary post! Some things just need to stay inside the home. I do not approve of children standing on the family dog.
RESPECT! !! If you can’t value the little things in life how can you the the biggest things in life.
What is wrong with you? Do you really think it’s okay to stand on a dog?!! Please learn your child some good manners and how to treat a family pet, you are the parent so take responsibility! The child is cute. What is absolutly disgusting is you letting your child do this.
I am ashamed that I ever supported you Sarah Palin. Embarrassed for the image you’re portraying of conservatives with this. My kids both have Autism and I still teach them to have respect and compassion for animals and do not allow them to be used as a toy or piece of furniture. Just because the dog tolerates it now doesn’t mean it’s not uncomfortable or that it won’t decide to rightfully defend itself next time. Is this how you teach your kids and supporters to get ahead in life…on the backs of other innocent creatures regardless of what hidden damage they could be causing? Really ashamed and disappointed today.
Incredibly, as I write this, the main post has over 58,700 likes, and one of the pictures has almost 3,200 likes. A companion post on Twitter has been favorited 384 times. The most benign interpretation is that these people are so in love with Palin that they reflexively hit the “like” button for just about anything she posts. The comments defending Palin are almost as disturbing.
Liberals be like:
Millions of abortions, Yay
Dead cops, alright
Obama drones killed innocent civilians, cool
Hillary let 4 die in Bengazi, whatever
Trig stands on his dog,.. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH OMG!!!!
the child is using yankee ingenuity and the dog is doing what Labs do .. loving his people and helping iin whatever way he can — what is wrong with you people???
I think this is cute! If that dog was hurt he would have moved! Way to go Trig! Do what you got to do to get the job done! How sweet!
Most of these people no doubt wrung their hands at the wave of court decisions and state laws that removed the hurdles for LGBT people to be legally married. They thought it was a sign our nation had lost its moral compass. And yet, they not only find it even remotely okay for a six-year-old boy to use a dog as a foot stool, but aren’t shocked that said boy’s mother would find this acceptable to put on Facebook. Pot, meet kettle.
We already knew that Palin’s philosophy was extremist and primitive, and her judgment questionable at best. This is a woman who actually thought Phil Robertson ought to run for president. But with this one post, Palin has proven she is morally unfit for office. Her name has been bandied about as a potential candidate for the Republican nomination in 2016. But if she can’t teach her own son to respect animals, how can she possibly be fit to run the country?
If Palin doesn’t have the decency to take these pictures down, then Facebook ought to make her take them down. Report the main post and the three actual pictures of Trig stepping on the dog as animal abuse.
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Darrell Lucus, also known as Christian Dem in NC on Daily Kos, is a radical-lefty Jesus-lover who has been blogging for change for a decade. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook.
