It wasn’t that long ago — August 2017, actually, — that The New York Times had to append a correction to an anti-gun editorial because it repeated the media-established myth that a map put out by Sarah Palin “targeting” certain districts with “crosshairs” incited Jared Lee Loughner to shoot Gabby Giffords back in 2011.

The Times, already facing a lawsuit, corrected the piece, adding that “no connection to the shooting was ever established.”

2020 hopeful (and longshot) Rep. Eric Swalwell is trying to make that Sarah Palin controversy happen again, but there’s no way we’ll ever let him forget he suggested the government would use nukes against American citizens on American soil to quickly put down any sort of armed insurrection, so to hell with your Second Amendment and its protections against a tyrannical government.

So forgive us if Swalwell is the very last person who should be getting his panties in a wad over the words “Target Practice” on the same two-page spread featuring a photo of Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

This is a call for violence by the @NRA against @GabbyGiffords, who was nearly killed by gunfire and @SpeakerPelosi, the most powerful legislator in America. The NRA should face legal consequences. But let’s put them out of business with boycotts and ballot boxes. #EnoughIsEnough pic.twitter.com/XFTAg5XJWI — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) February 23, 2019

Oh, really.

The @NRA is threatening @SpeakerPelosi because they know she isn't going to roll over for their illegal, anti-U.S., grotesque attack on American citizens. They are vile and monstrous and need to be shutdown. — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 23, 2019

The NRA encouraging its members to shoot powerful female democrats feels very on brand for them. — Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) February 23, 2019

Read past the first two words, moron. — moodyredhead misses Doc (@moodyredhead) February 23, 2019

Ever notice how people exercise their First Amendment rights to casually say utterly slanderous things about a citizen group organized to protect the Second Amendment? The NRA encourages its members to shoot powerful female Democrats? Please, show your work.

This is highly irresponsible and I recommend you delete this tweet. — AgainstTrumpDude (@TheAmishDude) February 23, 2019

You should be sued for libel by the NRA. — Shall Not Be Infringed (@Gunalizer) February 23, 2019

Calm down. — JWF (@JammieWF) February 23, 2019

Steve Scalise says hi. — AgainstTrumpDude (@TheAmishDude) February 23, 2019

GFY. We’re the ones w/targets on our backs because of psychopaths like yourself. #2A pic.twitter.com/XxWs9fECdg — Nelson, Murdock & Page (@robbyjr04) February 23, 2019

Don’t nuke me, bro — Jeff Hatfield ?? (@jeffhat4MU) February 23, 2019

Good thing the NRA doesn’t have nukes. — Pouncing Coder Brad (@bradcundiff) February 23, 2019

Hey Eric, sincerely go ?? — Dan Nobles (@DanNobles) February 23, 2019

Umm, no. It means Democrats are targeting gun owners. Which there is no disputing, they are. You can read, right? — READY TO POUNCE (@corrcomm) February 23, 2019

You’re despicable. There has been no call for violence by the @NRA against @GabbyGiffords. Gun owners as represented by the NRA save lives every day in this country. Stop lying, stop with the histrionics, stop with attacks against the constitutional right of gun ownership. — DC McAllister (@McAllisterDen) February 23, 2019

You are reaching….. get a life. — Brenna Spencer (@BrennaSpencer) February 23, 2019

Anyone actually read the article posted? Nothing mentioned about a call for violence & pointed out that criminals acquire guns other ways. Now why would a legislator want to push a Jussie? What’s his gain? — Veritas (@landshark805) February 23, 2019

Funny how Swalwell didn’t post a link to the article online so people could, you know, read it and judge for themselves.

" @GabbyGiffords who was nearly killed by gunfire" not long after @SarahPalinUSA targeted her to be ousted on a re-election map and put crosshairs over Giffords face. — Doctor Patois (@drpatois) February 23, 2019

Fake news: Giffords’ face was nowhere on Palin’s so-called “kill list.” See for yourselves:

Lest we forget. Sarah Palin's crosshairs map before Gabby Giffords got shot. pic.twitter.com/46g3Rz34NY — Debra Shea (@DebraShea20) February 21, 2019

“Lest we forget” … that Loughner was an insane stalker who never even saw the map. The whole thing is a post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy.

How about charges against Palin for the crosshairs map that targeted Gabby? — Becky Von Stein (@vonsayne) February 23, 2019

We’ve got a better one: how about charges against the New York Times for running the libelous story about Palin and her map, which had no connection to the Giffords shooting? It’s amazing the shelf life of some of these myths.

Did you ever get your coffee? I feel like you didn't have any coffee and thought this tweet was a good idea. — Somewhere_Out_There (@Public_Name_Req) February 23, 2019

Dude would rather walk a whole half-a-block to Starbucks in a “snowstorm” to avoid buying coffee in Trump Tower: what a hero.

The man tweets about using nukes to compel firearm confiscation efforts and now he’s decrying “a call for violence.” Shut up.

NRA facing heat after publishing "Target Practice" magazine headline next to photo featuring Pelosi, Giffords https://t.co/d4qF20D8KF pic.twitter.com/oOpfSqMLba — Newsweek (@Newsweek) February 23, 2019

"heat"

Femmy libs whining like little bitches is not heat. https://t.co/jOi4TJ5TPB — Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) February 24, 2019

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