Dear Governor Palin-
I want you to know how happy I am to live in a country where a woman can be so close to one of the most powerful positions in the world. Being married to an “Alaska girl” myself, I feel like I have some sort of understanding of where you come from. I think it is a wonderful thing that you are a Christian seeking to live out your faith in the public sector. You have devoted your life to God, your family, and the American public (specifically Alaska right now). This is a commendable thing and I applaud you for this. You have allowed no apologies for being a mom of 5 and a woman in what is considered a man’s game and I commend you for that as well.
I took a good hour of my time to listen to you and Rudy Giuliani last Wednesday night. I was mostly impressed. You were strong and poised all throughout, while also letting your personality come out. I think you made your home state very proud and you spent lots of time showcasing your family. It is clear they are your first priority. I am concerned, however, about your words on “community organizers”. I know you meant to only discredit Barack Obama, but in doing so you discredited millions worldwide. I work at a church, and to someone who isn’t religious, my job probably looks like that of a community organizer. I take exception to your idea that this type of job comes without responsibilities. I wonder if those words were truly yours or were put in by a speech writer. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt because I find myself confused by this. Many community organizers are seeking to live out their beliefs in their communities just as you are within the government. I’m not trying to stand up for Barack Obama, but I will stand up for the people you insulted. I think they deserve an apology. Being that you are in big game politics now, they probably won’t get one and that is sad to me.
Sincerely,
Tyler Braun
Some links on all this:
- Dr. Soong-Chan Rah with his thoughts on Palin and community organizers.
- A Time article on the man who wrote Palin’s speech.
- Jim Wallis has some excellent reasons why community organizers are important.
- “Why Obama’s community organizer days are a joke”
