Applause???
I’ve been fired up over Senator McCain’s choice of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. I’m so fired up, I don’t know where to start. If you don’t want my opinion of her, then read no further.
*****
Perhaps I should start with her abortion platform. I am not pro-abortion, I am pro-choice. I do not believe abortion should be used as a continous means of birth control, however, those who make the choice to have an abortion should find it safe and legal. Having an abortion is an extremely personal choice and I believe that is between you, your Higher Power, your conscience, and your doctor. I do not believe in partial birth abortion, unless it is for extreme circumstances.
I believe if you are raped, you should have the right to chose to have an abortion.
I believe if you’re a 12 year old girl who has been raped by a family member, you should have the right to chose to have an abortion (with appropriate counseling).
I believe if your life is in danger, you should have the right to chose to have an abortion.
As a mother, and one who chose to be, I am well aware of life, and how life grows within my body. I hope I am NEVER in the position to have to contemplate abortion, however, if I am, I want it to be my choice, and I want it to be safe and legal.
Governor Sarah Palin believes none of those things.
******
Governor Palin believes in abstinence-only education and will not support government funding of hard core sex education. How’s that working for ya, Gov’na? So you’re proud of your daughter’s decision to have her baby? Under your regime, she wouldn’t have any choice. Are you proud that your abstinence education worked? Are you proud to spotlight teen pregnancy and be a “normal family?” That’s an insult to every “normal” family who doesn’t have a teen pregnancy. That’s an insult to me, a mother, who plans on teaching her son the hard core truth about sex and its responsibilities, about the emotional toll, about the possible STDs that can be transmitted, and yes, about abstinence.
I remained abstinent until I was well past 20 years old. So, as far as talking to my teenager about remaining abstinent, I won’t be a hypocrite. There was a very good article on CNN about combining the techniques of abstinence and hard core sex ed by Roland S. Martin. Both parties should listen.
******
Governor Palin’s foreign policy extends to the fact she is governor of Alaska and that’s close to Russia, so… foreign policy via osmosis? Let me tell you how much more experience I have. I have met with Representatives of the German government and talked politics with them. I have visited eight foreign countries, and lived in one for a year, not as a bystanding-living-on-a-base-attending-an-American-high-school-individual, but as a guest citizen, speaking their language, abiding by their rules, and learning their culture.
Travel to foreign countries helps you develop a better view of how we are all interconnected and how American policies affect the entire world. Being able to spit on a foreign country from your back door is not the same thing. And being so close to Russia… why hasn’t she ever visited??? And really, the indigenous tribes of Alaska don’t count.
******
She does support the development of oil and natural gas in Alaska, however, she’s not exactly climate or conservation friendly. I am well aware of the need of America to become less dependent upon oil, much less foreign oil, but not wanting to list the polar bear as an engangered species because it would upset your oil and gas business doesn’t set well with me. I have friends in the gas business here in WV and I know what they can do and how they do it because we discuss it over lunch. There can be a balance between obtaining natural resources and maintaining wildlife.
She also believes that global warming is not man-made. I may give her part of that, because I really believe that as everything cycles, so does the Earth, but by the Lady’s eyelashes, we’re not helping anything! You really want me to believe that the chemical plant across the river from me that blew up last week is not releasing environmentally damaging toxins into the air along with the putrid smell and their “everlasting” flame that “burns off” any toxic substances. Yeah. Listen, Gov’na, I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night. I have eyes, I can read the amount of fines they’ve paid in the past years due to their non-environmentally friendly dumping, spillage, and air quality standards. Pfft.
Humans ARE very much responsible for global warming. Check this out.
*******
I commend the “First Dude” for resigning from his job (for a period of time) as a production manager with BP due to some legislation Governor Palin was destined to be a part of, but, frankly, and I’m not sure the rest of America feels the way that I do, but I’ve had enough of anyone connected to oil. The oil barons have run this country into the ground for the past eight years and I’m done. I’m also not particularly fond of the “First Dude” encouraging those unable to pay for college to become a part of the gas and oil movement. Why not make college affordable? And, by the way, awarding the 500 million dollars in seed money to a Canadian organization to build and operate the 26 billion dollar natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to the rest of us poor Americans, classic.
That’s a lot of college educations, or, maybe even jobs for those who can’t afford an education. I wonder how many Americans TransCanada is going to employ. I can say, it was a good day to be Canadian.
Maybe she should have used some of Alaska’s government surplus to create a program to help those who can’t afford college.
*******
She believes that being in Iraq is part of God’s plan. What. The fuck. God’s plan for what, exactly? And, pardon me, but who do you think you are to determine what God’s plan is? Are you Mary or Joan of Arc now? Has God sent down a messenger from Heaven to you? What a crock! Governor, you seem to have decent intelligence and you’ve got a lot of moxy, which I can really appreciate, but expecting me to believe that the US invasion of Iraq is God’s Will, is as insulting as believing that it is Allah’s Will to kill all Americans or that I’ll vote for you and Senator McCain simply because you have a uterus.
God’s Will does not extend and should not be used as an excuse by any government to justify their actions. Its a sidestep of responsibility that is so HEINOUS I’m ashamed you said it. Appalled beyond belief doesn’t come close to how I feel about your statement and the release of responsibility of OUR GOVERNMENT for their actions by blowing it off on God. I definitely do not know or even proclaim to know in the least little bit what God’s Plan or Will is, but based on what I know, I can only imagine that She’s shaking her heard in shame. Again, classic.
*******
I don’t care that you can field dress a moose, big whoop, I can field dress a deer, and given a dead moose and a fairly sharp knife, I figure I could strip out a moose as well. However, I can say your chances of knowing to stay behind Dick Cheney while he’s hunting, are greater than the average person.
*****
I make no excuses for the way I feel. If you agree, you do. If you don’t, you don’t. You have the right to vote just as I do, and you have a right to blog, just as I do. Feel free to disagree, but keep it clean and respectful.
Anything Goes 
