Sarah Palin Educates Americans About Paul Revere; Leftist Media on the Wrong Side of History

Just being able to write that headline is a huge victory in itself. Note that I didn't refer to "mainstream" or "lamestream" media, largely because they actually did their homework for once and are defending Palin's version of events. The Boston Herald, the LA Times, NPR, and the Washington Times all back her up. [Updated:] U.S. News & World Report doesn't want to get left behind.

ICYMI, Palin was asked about what she had learned on her bus tour just after she had finished a tour of Paul Revere's house. She explained that Revere had warned the British that the colonists were massing to fight them and that the people were up in arms, firing gun shots and ringing church bells.

Leftists who don't care much for history immediately jumped on this statement as the smoking gun proof that Sarah is Stupid (TM). Much to their chagrin continued ignorance, it turned out that Palin was correct. On Revere's ride to warn the colonists, he was also captured by the British and defiantly warned them of their looming defeat. The Washington Times and Legal Insurrection (I  II) have a pretty good summary of exactly what happened.


Of course, that didn't deter NBC types and comedians like John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Fallon from inadvertently mocking their own limited grasp of history by implying that Palin's statement about Paul Revere was inaccurate.

Granted, her response came late in the day, she was obviously tired, and she could have constructed her sentences better. Perhaps the "correct" answer to the question "where have you been and what have you learned?" would have been "I've visited historical sites in New England such as Gettysburg, the Statue of Liberty, and Paul Revere's home right here in Boston, but this tour isn't about me learning anything; it's about reminding the American public of our nation's history." Not being a conventional politican, however, she gave an honest answer concerning a little known fact about Revere that she had no doubt just learned on the tour of her house.

In a larger sense, what has the left so up in arms is not that Palin made a mistake, but the implication that we as citizens should have the audacity to challenge our government when it becomes too overbearing rather than simply warning taxpayers that the government is coming to confiscate their wealth and they can do nothing about it. The parallels between Great Britain trying to control the colonists and big government trying to control independent Americans are just too obvious for the left o let them slip by unscathed.