Friends, compatriots, fellow-lamenters,
We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farce—on the part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential candidate—that has a real possibility of becoming fact.
Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms. Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the planet.
We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as a rash, incompetent, and all together devastating choice for Vice President. Ms. Palin's political views are in every way a slap in the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that we've so demonstrably benefited from.
First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women voters. We want to disagree, publicly.
Therefore, we invite you to reply here (womensaynopalin@gmail.com) with a short, succinct message about why you, as a woman living in this country, do not support this candidate as second-in-command for our nation.
Please include your name (last initial is fine), age, and place of residence.
We will post your responses on a blog called "Women Against Sarah Palin," which we intend to publicize as widely as possible. Please send us your reply at your earliest convenience—the greater the volume of responses we receive, the stronger our message will be.
Thank you for your time and action.
VIVA!
Sincerely,
Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston
New York, NY
womensaynopalin@gmail.com
**PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY! If you send this to 20 women in the next hour, you could be blessed with a country that takes your concerns seriously. Stranger things have happened.
image Jenny Holzer
17 comments:
Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise
Sarah Palin is dangerous. She does not want to represent this country or it's citizens, she wants to represent herself. Please let's defeat this ticket!
I am an educated woman that commends Sarah for climbing up the political ladder. I, however, STRONGLY DISAGREE with her politics and cannot in good conscience support her as a leader in advocating my rights. Her views are diametrically opposed to my continued belief in separation of church and state, protecting the environment and my body. Please support the Obama/ Biden ticket!
klokaren said...
We have got to stop treating this election like a reality show and take a look at the issues and the party platforms. We have to get beyond Sarah's 15 minutes of fame and realize this woman not only is against many of our freedoms and rights, but that she would be very dangerous as the leader of the free world with her lack of critical thinking skills and her very narrow view of the world. If you translated her burning desire to force her religious and moral beliefs on all of us into a comparison with our enemies who are also fundamentalist religious believers, we would all be in head scarves and sending our sons to blow themselves up for our cause. The right wing religious fundamentalists are no different than the Islamic fanatics in reality - only their message of whose side god is on differs. They both want to take away the freedoms that make us uniquely American. I implore all thinking moderate people - men and women alike - to reject the McCain/Palin ticket that would set our country back and take away our freedoms. If you think Bush was bad, they will be even worse. Their promises are empty and not backed up by a plan. Obama/Biden will move our country forward to restore our economic stability and our reputation as the wise leader of the free world.
Sarah Palin has one thing going for her...She would make great satire for Saturday Night Live! This choice is more evidence of McCain's lack of sound judgement!
>
>
>>> Obama and The Palin Effect
>>> From: Deepak Chopra | Posted: Friday, September 5th, 2008
>>>
>>> Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the
>>> national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This
>>> is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov.
>>> Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis
>>> this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President
>>> Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent
>>> parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her
>>> state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which
>>> reduces the job of governor to the scale of running
>>> one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is
>>> a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been
>>> admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes
>>> deeper.
>>>
>>> She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow,
>>> deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their
>>> worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that
>>> part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our
>>> aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are
>>> ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence,
>>> selfishness, and suspicion of 'the other.' For
>>> millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but
>>> they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to
>>> reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up
>>> hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly
>>> clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that
>>> Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use
>>> before his arrival on the scene.)
>>>
>>> I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is
>>> usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a
>>> perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin’s
>>> message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing
>>> call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to
>>> change and a higher vision.
>>>
>>> Look at what she stands for:
>>>
>>> --Small town values -- a denial of America's global
>>> role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.
>>>
>>> --Ignorance of world affairs -- a repudiation of the need
>>> to repair America's image abroad.
>>>
>>> --Family values -- a code for walling out anybody who
>>> makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being
>>> outside the family, don't need to be heeded.
>>>
>>> --Rigid stands on guns and abortion -- a scornful
>>> repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those
>>> who disagree.
>>>
>>> --Patriotism -- the usual fallback in a failed war.
>>>
>>> --'Reform' -- an italicized term, since in
>>> addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending,
>>> one also throws out anyone who doesn't fit your
>>> ideology.
>>>
>>> Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary
>>> right, which has been in play since 1980, that social
>>> justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants,
>>> being different from 'us' pure American types, can
>>> be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and
>>> globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches
>>> under the banners of 'I'm all right, Jack,' and
>>> 'Why change? Everything's OK as it is.' The
>>> irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a
>>> reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie
>>> on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of
>>> feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are
>>> millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism,
>>> however obviously they are voting against their own good.
>>> The Republicans have won multiple national elections by
>>> raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to
>>> change, and narrow-mindedness.
>>>
>>> Obama's call for higher ideals in politics can't
>>> be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to
>>> respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow -- we all
>>> do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces
>>> of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has
>>> its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The
>>> best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this
>>> conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest.
>>> It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling
>>> persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that
>>> have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We
>>> deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.
The selection of Sarah Palin by McCain was an insult to women everywhere. In his choice of Palin, McCain displayed a cynical and condescending belief that adding a woman, any woman, to his ticket would allow him to capture the votes of Hillary Clinton's ardent supporters and a wide swath of the general female vote. He couldn't have been further from the truth. Sarah Palin is not only dangerous and incompetent but is exclusively a candidate of the radical conservative right. She is not a candidate for moderate, independent or Democratic Americans of either sex. Please join me in defeating this scary ticket.
The choice of a woman on the Republican ticket was purely political. She is not a candidate. She is a political tool that has manipulative objectives.
1. to appeal to the religuous right ( which shows McCain's inauthenticity since he has not been aligned w/ the religous right previously & lack of values & typical Republican " anything to win".) This blatant pandering ought to be insulting to the religous right.
2. to appeal to disgruntled Hillary voters and pretend to adopt a pro-woman platform to try & win female voters
She praised Hillary in her acceptance speech for putting cracks in the glass ceiling & promised that she (Palin) would crack it some more. This comes after the Dem. nomination & pissed off Hillary voters are shown in the media.
Her record shows that she is anti-woman, anti-choice, anti- sex education (that worked well for her family). Republicans are not a pro- womens' rights party & do not have our best interests in mind & it is disgusting what they will pretend to be to try to win.
3. to attempt to steal OBAMA'S CHANGE platform
They are now embracing the change message because that is what the overwhelming OBAMA support states the American public wants.
They talk about Palin being a maverick, etc., tough on WA, etc. Their big claim about her political toughness is that she "put an end" to the bridge to no where in Alaska. That is like claiming you've chosen to move after receiving an eviction notice. That does not show political strength. At the point she changed camps against it it was already politically unpopular.
4. Exploiting her femininity & even sexualizing her for manipulation of the more ignorant & easily played members of our society
During the Republican convention people in the crowd wore buttons stating "the hottest V.P. from the coolest state". There was a video clip of her that seemed more like soft porn for shoe fettishists than a political commentary that only showed her high heeled feet & calves from the knee down while they made some comment about empowering women (I don't remember the exact comment but it was ironic the timing & imagery & I laughed out loud).
5. the fear/ safety card- "she's gun toting tough"
I would feel really unsafe w/ someone with her track record in power ( repeated abuse of powers- the current investigation included). We have had 8 years of people in power who only take care of their own , at the expense of the rest of America. No more good ole boys ( or good ole girls for that matter!)!! in high political office!
I am disgusted by the whole spectacle of her as McCain's running mate, especially after they have criticized OBAMA's experience so fiercely. The Republicans portray her as this machine gun wielding, high heel wearing, moose killing, "still hot" mother of children. I hate to say who I think that is appealing to but again it sounds like someone's strange fantasy. I climb trees with chainsaws, work in a predominantly male field & like to look sexy in heels now & then & am raising a family but that doesn't qualify me to be a president or v.p.. I think the fact that they keep slinging around what is fair or not to discuss "because she's a woman" is just more political pandering in an attempt to ignite passions around a topic that they actually don't care about at all. The Republicans love to take divisive hot topics ( anti- gay/ pro- gun, etc.) and mobilize people with fear & anger and hatred.
I hope the American people will be smart enough and empowered enough to leave fear behind & vote for OBAMA who has stuck to the same platform all along. The right criticizes OBAMA for being a star & a great speaker. He is great at it because he is authentic & actually believes what he says instead of adopting other candidates' platforms or being a puppet to his party when his polls go down. OBAMA is not simply a "tool " of the Democratic party. You can see that in his choice for a running mate. He chose someone with great experience that he can work with. I am inspired when OBAMA speaks because I feel hope instead of the fear, manipulation, and empty promises that can be heard on the other side. He talks about the issues that matter to me & most of the people I care about- health care, the economy, middle class and poor ( nobody wants to mention the poor- only the middle class) people, jobs. We need to speak out about the fraudulent nature of the three ring circus on the other side & keep talking about what really matters to the majority of Americans. The Republicans will do ANYTHING to get re-elected- lie, cheat, infuriate, manipulate. Just say NO to Palin & McCain. They are not what they are pretending to be . They are not CHANGE & THEY ARE CERTAINLY NOT FEMINISTS!!!!
We must stop this for our daughters sake! From the night of her acceptance speech, I have had a broken heart and fire in my belly. How can this be happening? We must get the word out and have every single democrate vote, vote for Obama/Biden. Palin is an insult to the american feminist spirit, to the spirit of the woman's movement in Seneca Falls and those smart and brave women who fought for our futures. Now we must fight for the future of not only our sons and daughters here in the US but those around the world. The Republicans are again "playing" on the worst spiritual and socialogical impulses in america at this very important juncture in the world's history. They are careless, wreckless and self serving. She exemplfies the worst of the republican ideal of blind ambition, distortion of the truth, and corporate rape of the american people. She is dangerous and an insult to what I fought for in the woman's movement from the 70's onward. We must organize, we must organize viral campaigns that reach across party lines. The truth must be told and stop the republican's twisting and distorting the truth. Have they no shame! I am planning on talking to eveyone I can, I am arming myself with the truth and facts and even if I am not heard by everyone, I feel I must begin to use my voice and speak as loudly as I can, in whatever way I can. Sisters, together we can make a difference.
Palin may not represent liberal feminist women in America but she has the right to run. I've never seen this country so polarized and people so angry. If you don't like her, don't vote for her. That's really all you can do, besides try to convince others to think like you do.
One of my women friends, a fellow novelist (and I'm sure you're aware of the additional worries Ms. Palin has caused within the literary community) forwarded the link to your blog today. I'm very grateful to know that there are women out there who are as enraged and frightened as I am by the explosion of support surrounding Governor Palin.
I completely agree with your statement, and I commend the measured, precise, and clear manner in which you've expressed your concerns. Thank you for coming up with a pro-active approach to dealing with these concerns, and for creating an online community where like-minded women can add their voices to yours.
Adding to my growing dismay about the situation is MSNBC's recent decision to yank Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews from their positions as news anchors covering the lead up to the election. No one has taken Fox News to task for their obvious political bias, nor, I expect, does MSNBC plan to remove Mr. Pat Buchanan from the ranks of their commentators.
These are scary times indeed.
Greetings,
I agree with Deepak Chopra about Sarah Palin's entry into this race--it helps spell out different paths to the future. Do we really want to move ahead with Obama/Biden or do we want to hold on to the old ways with the McCain/Palin ticket. Obama/Biden offer a path of collaboration, shared empowerment, and a view that we are all connected. Palin offers a very limited view of what is acceptable--no sex education, no abortion choice, no stem cell research, ban on certain books and ways of thinking, local rather than global focus, and many misrepresentations about her experience. We are moving toward a more inclusive worldview and Obama/Biden can act on that perspective. Please ask yourself at a deep level what you really want and what you think will be best for the country.
I have received this letter from 3 people today already and am surprised that only 11 have commented...please add your feelings/thoughts. Your energy adds to the change we need and makes a difference.
Sarah Palin does not embody my values. She only recently got her first passport. She has only been to two countries. Isn't that ridiculous? I have been to 35 countries. Nobody asked me to become Vice President? Aren't I more qualified than she is on international relations alone? Isn't that important to our country? Haven't we sunk to new lows in the perceptions of people in other countries. Let's at least elect a president who can choose an appropriate V.P.. Holy smokes! OBAMA/BIDEN ALL THE WAY!!!
This is like a bad episode of American Idol where clueless republicans cast their vote on someone that can't carry a tune but can get their attention, sorta like Brittany Spears.
EXCEPT, this is so painfully serious and frightening to think this person could actually be vice president of our country. Seeing her values and beliefs, she obviously hasn't read the part about separation of church and state!
LLS
I am a hockey mom from Canada. Most of us up here are. Few of us would support the destructive and fundamentalist views that Palin represents.
We are in the middle of an election campaign here and are trying hard to fight for good governance for all Canadians with out the Bible toting and extreme views of a crazed right wing supported by the same forces.
Margaret Atwood is a Canadian writer who authored the book "The Handmaid's Tale". It is about an America taken over by the Christian Fundamentalists.
Sarah Palin is like a frightening character from the pages of that book. Tomorrow while I do my own political work in Canada to fight this frightening agenda, I will send some money to Obama supporters in Washington State.
What happens in America has huge impact on the rest of us!
Thanks Austin.
Try showing some references to back up your gibberish about what Palins is against "to date", the sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech, gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears. This blog is a complete JOKE! Some of the comments on this blog are from claimed "educated" women, any women who reads this and doesn't know there facts should know what is truth by referred fact and blog/comment on that.
Andy
I think when you wrote "there" you actually meant to write "their".
Sarah Palin has a history that is fairly easy to document because she is a public figure. Very little of what has been stated here is even exaggerated.
New word to learn...pugnacious.
I think Mrs. Palin is pugnacious, arrogant, hypocrytical and frightening! I hope none of you have to deal with her fall-out!
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