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Palin's Critics Bitter Over Own Abortions

'Grief, shame, and guilt' spur attacks on Republican candidate

By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 24, 2008 4:29 PM CDT

(Newser) – The attacks lobbed at Sarah Palin have less to do with the candidate herself and more with the shame, guilt, and grief of the post-abortion community, the co-founder of an anti-abortion group writes in the National Review. Kevin Burke says Palin inspires such vitriol because she chose to have a baby with Down Syndrome, exposing the “painful wound in our culture.”

“The Palin family’s decision to affirm the value of the unborn child confronts the collective grief, guilt and shame of all who have participated in any way in the death of an unborn child,” says Burke, hoping that Palin’s story stops feeding “a disgraceful media feeding frenzy fueled by our post-abortive culture,” instead becoming “a beacon of hope and healing.”

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, blows a kiss to her infant son, Trig, as she speaks during the Republican National Convention.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, blows a kiss to her infant son, Trig, as she speaks during the Republican National Convention.   (AP Photo)
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, left, and her husband, Todd Palin, hold their baby boy Trig.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, left, and her husband, Todd Palin, hold their baby boy Trig.   (AP Photo/Al Grillo)
Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, holds her infant son, Trig, at the Republican National Convention.
Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, holds her infant son, Trig, at the Republican National Convention.   (AP Photo)
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Powerful repressed feelings of grief, guilt and shame can be deflected from the source of the wound (ie, abortion) and projected onto an often uncharitable focus upon the trigger of these painful emotion: the Palin family. - Kevin Burke, Rachel's Vineyard

We need to travel the road of reconciliation, healing and peace as we work together to build a culture of life for all Americans from conception to natural death. - Kevin Burke, Rachel's Vineyard

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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
Toon
Feb 24, 2009 10:31 PM CST
It takes a simple minded male to think a child should be dragged through every situation a woman finds herself in. A caring mother knows when to leave the baby with a responsible care taker. A woman like Palin should have had a person with experience caring for Down's babies to help with Trig, she had the money, she had the pull, she just didn't have the love to put Trig first.
Toon
Feb 24, 2009 12:45 AM CST
Having had a preemie I saw a lot of preemie-like responses in Trig, the way he would go calm and sleepy around bright lights and loud noises. It worried me that at 5 months he was still responding that way, but perhaps it was his Down's that caused him to act like a very young infant.And it always chilled me to see how she dragged that baby up on stage. A responsible parent would have foregone the political capital and left the baby in a quiet spot backstage with a nursemaid.

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