Pop quiz: What does this symbol stand for? If you guessed Nazi Germany, you're wrong. That symbol looks like this.

It is strictly inscribed on a 5-by-5 square grid, and its arms turn to the right. Swastikas in other forms and proportions have been used for millennia by religions and other groups around the globe, including some branches of Hinduism and some Indians of the American Southwest. The left-handed swastika at top is particularly associated with nivritti, the internal-moral aspect of Vedic study. But it is no more familiar to the average American than, for example, a survey symbol, and of course it resembles the Nazi swastika. So it would take some serious chutzpah to scold the average American for taking the painting of a left-handed swastika on, say, a Jewish politician's front door as an act of anti-Semitism, rather than as an invitation to interfaith dialogue from an over-fervent Brahmin.

Well, Sarah Palin has serious chutzpah: Her operation is now scolding Americans for suggesting that the use of gunsight-like "surveyors marks" on her infamous map of "targeted" Democrats, which included Gabrielle Giffords, could be interpreted as encouraging gun violence. Come on, people! Everyone knows the crossed-circle mark just means "located here." Real Americans learn this stuff in third-grade surveying class.

Briefly, a point of fact: There is no such thing as a standard set of surveyors marks. They change state-to-state, company-to-company and even surveyor-to-surveyor. Furthermore, the "surveyors mark" judged to be standard by Palin is, on evidence, not terribly common at all. The closest I've come to finding a match is here, on a Chinese spelunking club's Website. In their visual lexicon it refers to an aven, or vertical shaft. I think it's rather fitting that the word is also ancient Hebrew for "trouble, sorrow; idolatry; iniquity or wickedness."

But there is a larger point to be made. Palin's camp was evidently prepared for the moment when they'd come under attack for using gunsights, and were ready with the surveyors-mark explanation. I am certain that they are not lying about the origin of the symbol, either: that it does, in fact, exist somewhere listed as a surveyors mark, and that we will shortly be given the proof by Palin or one of her team. (One of her followers has already made the claim, but not provided any backup [via Ben Smith.)

This proof, they doubtless believe, will exonerate them of any charge of inciting or encouraging political violence.

It will not. It will indict them.

Offering this fatuous "proof" suggests recognition of the aven of the deed. It suggests awareness of the deviousness of using apparent gunsights that aren't really gunsights on a map calling for certain opponents to be targeted. It suggests that shame is in order. It would be moral, honest, Christian, even presidential of Palin to admit she made an error in judgment. But she is none of these things, and shameless to boot. It's not a crosshairs, America, it's a left-handed swastika. What gave you the wrong idea?

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