Time to Act

Honorable John J. Burns

Alaska Attorney General

As you are well aware, on Saturday, January 8^th, this year, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Gifford was gunned down during an assassination attempt at a meet-and-greet gathering in Gifford's district, in Tuscon, Arizona. Besides the attempt of assassination on Representative Gifford, 18 other people were wounded, some seriously. Gifford had been on a so-called Sarah Palin publicized web-site hit list, wherein Gifford's name and district was surrounded by what appeared to be the cross-hairs of a deadly weapon. Sarah Palin is well versed in guns, so she was well aware of what the icon represented. Representative Gifford had complained about this hit list, but it remained on the Sarah Palin web-site hit list map, though now and unfortunately, we are seeing the fallout of such rhetoric. Gifford was targeted, and now remains in a comma with half of her brain corrupted by a bullet from an assassin. I guess the cross-hairs were “On Target”. Even though the publication by Sarah Palin of this hit list may be considered free-speech under the U.S. Constitution, in Alaska that freedom is trumped by the State of Alaska Constitution, wherein under Article 1 it is found:

§ 5. Freedom of Speech: Every person may freely speak, write, and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right.

I have reason to believe that the publication of the hit list in what appears to be the cross-hairs of a deadly weapon, now that Gifford has been attacked along with 18 others, this is a violation and falls under the “abuse clause” and Sarah Palin should be held accountable for crimes and punishment inherent in the Alaska Constitution, when such abuse is evidenced, as is the case of the web-site based hit list. With this correspondence I am asking the Attorney General's Office, which is the entity that must uphold Alaska's Constitution, to open up an investigation upon Sarah Palin under the “abuse clause” of Article 1 Section 1.5 and find whether or not this abuse in any way shape or form cataclysmized this event and if so may be determined as an “abuse” and finding Palin guilty under the “abuse clause” sentencing or fines accordingly to discouragement activities that could and would place the lives of Americans in jeopardy. Even though the assassin's crime was committed outside Alaska's jurisdiction, the abuse of free speech did not, and the AG should see to it that the Alaska Constitution is safe, and not in the cross-hairs of abuse with this type of “free speech” wherein innocent victims suffer. This event has created undue pain and suffering this nation, and if by chance such abuse by Sarah Palin upon the free speech doctrine has contributed, no matter how shallow upon this assassination attempt, please act and investigate what appears to be “free speech” abuse and hold Sarah Palin responsible for such. If this is not abuse upon this freedom, then what is? The signatories of the State Constitution placed this in the freedom articles for a reason, and now is the time to test that reason.

Respectfully Submitted, this 14^th day of January 2011.

Michael Kelley/Citizen of Alaska

Office of the Attorney General

P.O. Box 110300
Juneau, AK 99811-0300
tel: 907-465-2133
fax: 907-465-2075
email: attorney.general@alaska.gov
CC: Representative Gifford