I've been obsessed with politics of late...It seems like everything matters so much, I feel really divided in how to spend my energies...homeschooling, adoption advocacy, the near destruction of our traditional foods, (Thank you for that terrifying knowldge, 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle'), physical fitness, yard work, parenting, missionary work, developing strong relationships with my family...It's amazing to me that God manages to care so much about each of us all the time. I feel like I have to choose what I can care about because I just can't handle it all at once. Anyway, politics is winning right now and I'm just attaching something I posted on some stranger's website. Here it is.
This Palin debate is driving me nuts. The feminists criticize her as inexperienced and say she should be with her family...like that's where they are...I'm a stay-at-home mom and even though Gov. Palin made a different choice, she shares my values. Should I not vote for her because people who despise everything I believe in think SHE should be at home with her kids so THEY can run the country?
The media is constantly talking down to her. Did you notice how the commentators kept pointing out how the speech-writers had changed the speech to suit her specifically, like every other politician in any party wasn't also following a script?! The media is also happy to promote completely false notions without any apparent sense of responsibility. News Week and The New York Times have had to retract statements they've made about her, to name just a couple.
Look. It can be one of two ways as I see it: 1) You're a real life feminist who believes that women should be able to choose what is best for them and their families without feeling a need to judge that decision by the varying standard of your own individual choices. {Why do working moms and SAHM's feel so threatened by each other, anyway?} 2) You're the kind of intellectual elitist feminist who believe a woman's personal choices are her own as long as they coincide exactly with your own world views--i.e. "You can choose to work, but choosing NOT to work is a slap in the face to all the women who came before you." Puh-lease.
If you're a real feminist, Sarah Palin's gender is entirely beside the point and her character and policy are center stage. NOBODY would call a liberal democratic woman candidate a "cheerleader", "good-looking", or "homecoming queen." Nancy Pelosi isn't an ugly lady, but I've never heard anyone demean her place in politics in any way by copping to her physical appearance. Can you imagine what the liberal press would do with that?!
In summary, kill the double standard. VP is a big job. So is being a teacher or working 3 jobs or anything else. One news guy got it right. (Yay PBS!) Every person who pursues politics at a national level is choosing their career or country over their family and they know it. I haven't heard anyone criticize Obama or his wife for the exact same decision.
I don't think we have a right to second guess Palin for choices we (as a culture, at least) applaud in other, more private sectors. It's especially odious that it's the elitist feminists criticizing a self-made career woman for doing exactly what they say everyone else should do. Maybe they just can't handle a strong woman who has the audacity to disagree with them. Then they can't play the gender card and intimidate any genuine opposition with "sexist" labels.
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12 comments:
I hear ya!
My husband read me an article saying how much women hate Sarah Palin and nobody is going for the Republican ticket because of her. You can guess who wrote that?
There WAS a great article by Gloria Steinem about her. It said in part:
She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.
I was impressed she stuck to the issues so succinctly, but issue by issue I would argue that Steinem is wrong and Palin is correct. But it was a still a breath of fresh air to hear about issues only!
As a true "Alaskan," having seen first hand the things she has (or hasn't) done in our state, I have some strong opinions about Sarah Palin...and no, there not great...I could care less about her family situations, (if we're truly talking politics) but her political statements and views, not to mention what she says she has done for our state are mostly fabricated to some degree...
Nick says I'm not aloud to talk politics, because he's afraid I'm going to blow...
Anyway, I really think the decision of voting needs to come from some inward reflection and personal choices....If you want me to tell you the "truth" about Sarah Palin's politics...e-mail me..
Love ya
One more thing...I wasn't trying to sound calloused about Sarah Palin's family, I find it admirable what she has done for Downs awareness and love her values...I just don't love what she has done in the state of Alaska politics wise....
Hi SumGreater. I subscribed to the followup comments on Katrina's blog and saw yours. Wow, this is SO right on. PERFECTLY PERFECTLY said. How would you feel if I made a link to this or copied/pasted with your name of course (and a link to your blog if you'd like?) (For whatever reason when there's a link, people don't always click. So true on every point. I haven't looked at your blog but am excited to learn more about you. :)
-Autumn
Hi, thanks for your comment on my blog. I really appreciate how thought out it is. I like Sarah Palin, I think she seems like a good mother and I find her very refrshing. I do not agree with her on many issues, but I think McCain made a great choice and has made this race very exciting.
I think you already know how I feel about Ms. Palin. I think it DOES matter about her family situation and I would feel the same way if it were her husband running for VP on a conservative ticket. If putting your family first is part of your value system, then put your family first! I dont care if you are black or white or female or male. Some families have a lot more dynamics than others. And not to her discredit, but hers has some issues.
I think she is an extremist in a lot of ways and maybe not in touch with reality. She obviously has no clue what is really going on between Georgia and Russia, and I think her "Holy War" comment was a bit much. I am not even sure what she did in Alaska because everything I keep hearing is this bridge to nowhere deal which has turned into a farce.
The republicans have been strategic in using her as their pawn. They may even win the race but why is the big question.
Nothing like politics to get the blood boiling!
You go girl. I wish that the whole political system would focus more on what is important, and less on each other.
And I hear you on the many good things to fill your time with. I think that life is all about learning how to juggle them. Good luck.
I've been considering going political on my blog (and sending out an email to friends and family on my position), but I was afraid I would alienate people. But I disagree so completely with you on Palin, I guess it's time to lay my cards on the table. Stay tuned....
And by the way, the only retraction from the NY Times was that she was not actually a member of an Alaskan secessionist party... hardly the worst of the accusations against her. The incorrect information was not with malicious intent, but someone in charge of political registration information in Alaska provided the newspaper with incorrect information.
So many people to respond to...I'll go in order.
Dubby: Thanks for the quote!! It really did stick with the issues, and I'm with Palin on most of them as well. I think Gloria Steinem is off in the first sentence, though. At least 8 years ago, when Bush was elected, 56% of the women's vote (according the the news I saw), went to him and he was pro-life. I don't believe most women are for abortion. They're for laws that make sense. I'm going to research what abortion law was before Roe v. Wade.
What does creationism have to do with global warming, anyway? I don't believe in it either anymore, but I don't think it has anything to do with God in schools.
Charity: I already emailed you. Please post!!
Autumn: Hi! Nice to meet you! Do whatever you like. Thanks for reading. And you're totally right about the link thing. I posted two awesome article links by Orson Scott Card last week and nobody read them. I should've recapped with quotes and put it directly in.
Lori: You are such a smart woman. I really like talking politics with you. I think my view on the "family values" thing with Palin is this: Just because she's against abortion doesn't mean she can't also believe she ought to work outside the home. They're not mutually exclusive. I don't think having 'family values' is the same thing as putting family first. I respect that you would feel the same way if it were her husband running. Honestly, I don't think most people feel that way. There seems to be a palpable double standard and that's the thing that bugs me.
I agree that she is being totally handled by her party. For as much as she's been talked about lately, we still don't have a real grasp on what she's actually done or why she's in this huge position right now. That's why I'm so interested in hearing what Charity has to say.
I also agree that her views seem extreme...like she's not familiar enough with the subtleties of politics to realize there are so many valid shades of grey in most issues.
Tina Fey did an AWESOME impersonation of Sarah Palin last night on SNL. And Amy Poehler's Hillary is perfect. I'm sure it's on youtube if anybody missed it.
Katrina: Thanks for having an interesting blog for me to post on. I looked at it because I'm a redhead, too. =) For me, whether or not I like Palin is kind of beside the point. It's her stated politics that I mostly agree with. I'm no lover of John McCain, either. I kind of wish Ron Paul were still running. He seems trustworthy at least.
Mike and Kelly: Amen. And thanks.
Plainbellied: I always appreciate your comments and corrections. For people who grew up in the same house and have so many things in common, we are so different and I love that. Mostly, I love you. Keep on educating me.
Hey SumGreater. Plainbellied showed me your post. I have to say that Palin scares the heck out of me. I'm no liberal (voted twice for GWB, though I'm starting to regret it), but the audaciousness of Palin's lying, coupled with her record of vicious vindictiveness, among other things, is incredibly troubling. Plainbellied's putting up some stuff on her blog, and I'll probably get involved on my blog, too. We're not political people, but John McCain's recklessly irresponsible choice for VP has pushed us to be more vocal about our opinions. As Plainbellied said, stay tuned.
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