Gov Palin Ignore Crow. Never Stop Talking That Way

In her latest song, “Say What You Want,” Sheryl Crow crows about her distaste for “Don’t retreat. Reload.” The lyric in question is “I heard you tell me to reload. You got a lot of nerve to talk that way. Someone unplug the microphone. I’m tired of all the fighting, cynicism, and backbiting. Can’t even hear myself think. You pour the Kool Aid, and then we drink.”

Using the First Amendment to Deny First Amendment Rights

How ironic that Crow uses her First Amendment rights to call for the revoking of Gov. Palin's with "someone unplug the microphone." Par for the course in leftist ideology.

Metaphor

We would think that someone who sings by profession should know the meaning of metaphor, but a refresher from Merriam-Webster might be in order:

met·a·phor noun \’me-tə-,fȯr also -fər\ : 1. a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money); broadly : figurative language — compare SIMILE.

We, at US for Palin, love the “Don’t retreat. Reload” metaphor and often use this frame grab from SteveOh’s YouTube Range Day video showing a woman reloading an M-1A/M-14. For our soldiers and law enforcement taking out the bad guys, the term is actually quite literal. But, Governor Palin’s usage was metaphorical and intended for the political battlefield.

“Don’t retreat. Reload!” was actually coined by Gov. Palin’s father, Chuck Heath. She first referenced it in Going Rogue as the opening to Chapter 6, on p. 383, where he said, "Sarah's not retreating! She's reloading!" She used the term in February 2010 as a metaphorical reference to supporting conservative candidates for the mid-term elections. It was this latest usage that created quite the stir. Liberal heads exploded at the sight of a SarahPAC ad with 20 crosshairs on it and a list of the candidates targeted to be voted out of office. Mama and Papa Grizzlies roared with delight.



Political Metaphor

In political parlance, “Don’t retreat. Reload!” means we support and work for our candidates in offices where our side lost previously. We do not just give up, walk away, and acquiesce. We don’t bury our heads in the sand like ostriches; we don’t sit out elections; and we don’t permit ourselves to be complacent or apathetic. The ballot is the M-14 (or whatever rifle you prefer) in this equation, your vote is a fresh magazine being loaded, and your casting of the vote is dropping the bolt to chamber a fresh round, completing the reload.

Personal Metaphor

The term also has significance to our personal lives. “Reloading” means facing your problems – whatever they may be – head on and taking positive action to resolve them. “Retreating” is running away from your problems. Not referenced by either retreating or reloading, insanity is continuing the same failed solutions over and over again in the hope that the next iteration will work.

Please Continue Talking to us That Way

Crow and her liberal colleagues might not like the origin of the metaphor, which is her First Amendment right, but she might be wise to consider that without the Second, there is no First. There is nothing wrong with gun metaphors. For my part, I am ecstatic that Gov. Palin and her father told us to reload. I admire Gov. Palin’s nerve, and want her to continue talking to us that way.

My Hero

Since we’re talking music, I’ll close with this lyric:

“There goes my hero. Watch HER as SHE goes.”

Lyric: Foo Fighters, “My Hero”. Personal pronouns modified by Ron Devito to reference Gov. Palin.