The New York Times was forced on Thursday to correct an editorial that stated as fact a debunked theory that the gunman who shot Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in 2011 was inspired by a map circulated by Sarah Palin.
The editorial, titled “America’s Lethal Politics,” was posted Wednesday and widely criticized on social media. The editorial read in part:
“Was this attack evidence of how vicious American politics has become? Probably. In 2011, when Jared Lee Loughner opened fire in a supermarket parking lot, grievously wounding Representative Gabby Giffords and killing six people, including a 9-year-old girl, the link to political incitement was clear. Before the shooting, Sarah Palin’s political action committee circulated a map of targeted electoral districts that put Ms. Giffords and 19 other Democrats under stylized cross hairs.”
The paper ran the editorial after the shooting Wednesday morning during a GOP congressional baseball practice that left 4 wounded, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who is in critical condition.
Originally published by Fox Nation.
