This article is great! Thanks, Jeff (who is my usual provider of great articles), for sending me the link!
The article is about women, sexism and Palin. I don’t think the woman who wrote it is conservative, but Palin has made it so women (at least) can cross party lines and support a better whole.
I especially liked these statements ~
“She is a very popular governor with an 80-percent approval rate. She was elected on her own merit without previous political ties. She is her own political creation, not the wife, daughter, sister or mistress of a politician.” (that’s what I said, sort of, in that post on Gloria Steinem.)
“Agreement on issues is not required, but Palin merits respect.”
Even if you don’t agree with her, you have to respect her for all she has achieved. She should garner some decency from people, but instead, it seems the worst is brought out in people. Is it because the left is so terrified of losing that they will stoop to anything, including going against ideas they have fought for in the past? Or is it because the people who attack Palin never really believed those ideas, they were just purporting them so they could get into power. It scares me how easily people have changed, how easy it is for people to call Palin names, to rape her with their words. I pray that God gives her strength, as going through this cannot be easy.
You know, we really should expect more of people. I read someones status on Facebook the other day. They said, “[I] think this political ‘war’ is madness. When will Americans treat each other with respect again?” This statement made me think of all the mudslinging that goes on. Politics tends to bring people down, when it should be elevating people’s minds. Why is it we are so focused on Palin’s gender when there are much bigger issues at hand? Issues like the Fairness Doctrine and a person’s record of voting, and whether or not raising taxes would be a good idea. We should be discussing the issues, looking at them from all sides to see where we stand. (We watched “Expelled” last night, and that made me think a lot. Science isn’t the only arena where freedom of inquiry is squashed.) See, I don’t think we all have to think the same, but we do need to be able to discuss our differing opinions without it becoming an ad hominem attack. I don’t necessarily agree with Mrs. Palin 100%, but I respect her and think she deserves to be heard, one way or the other. That’s freedom, and that’s what America is about!
