Without missing much more than a three-week beat, the democrats (my party! MY party!) segued from Senator Clinton to Governor Palin. I'm incredulous. I'm mortified.
I'm indignant. What the hell has happened to my eclectic party that welcomed all with open arms? My party that was synonymous with equal rights for women, with a woman's right to choose, with a woman's right to walk any path she chose?
Well, Governor Palin chose a belief in all life. I read that as one of the choices in the array of 'a woman's right to choose'. And Governor Palin chooses to advocate for the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And Governor Palin chooses to believe in creationism or some degree of it and might advocate to have it taught in schools. And Governor Palin chooses to wear her hair up quite often. And Governor Palin chose to run for public office—from mayor to governor to vice president.
I am in agreement with exactly one of her choices, the latter. As for the rest, I do not concur, though I occasionally wear my hair up, too. But I'm downright thankful for that latter choice. The fact that this strong, caring woman decided to devote her life to the pluses and vagaries of public life betters us all, especially us women.
As for all the things she believes: are these deal-breakers? Bush does not believe in a woman's right to choose...have we lost Roe vs Wade in these dark years? Bush has whined and begged to open ANWR for eight years...is it open? Bush would have creationism taught in the schools in an instant...did it happen in this last decade? And, who, might I fiercely inquire, has the right to judge her hairstyle, let alone have the supremely vile taste to put words to the judgment—in public, no less. (I won't even dignify with more than these words the rest of the garbage slung her way by salacious radio hosts and gleefully hateful callers--dealing with the colors she wears and the like. I've no doubt missed the dark treatises on the inappropriateness of her kids' names and the ugliness of the cars she drives. Omigosh.)
But as to those wedge issues...why has Bush lost all the battles on them? I wish I could say it was because we have a strong and caring Congress, filled with principled democrats, but...it's because vast numbers of Americans, large majorities in some cases, simply don't want these things. And another executive will get no further with these wedges, either. The only thing he or she would be able to manage is what Bush managed—to put another close-minded conservative on the highest court.
And that's major damage. But the way to deal with that is to oust the senators—like Dodd, Leahy, Levin, Lautenberg, Feingold—who voted for one of those conservative Bush picks, and load our Congress with democrats that give a flying ferkin about all of us.
And while we're at it, let's oust the pretenders that have taken over our party. You know who I mean...the ones that nowadays wallow in cesspools of superficial criticism, engage in blatant misogyny, and (I actually heard this from a democrat) tell women to forget their dreams of working for the public good and go home and care for their children.
Jeepers, I miss the democrats.
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8 comments:
I was so disgusted with the vitriol of my party, I called Governor Palin's campaign headquarters, told the young lady on the phone how much I admired the Governor, and that as a democrat I was ashamed of the way my party was treating her. I said I hoped the Governor would not give up, would fight with everything she had in her, and that not all democrats were as pathetic as the ones doing the attacking! As I commented on another blog, I don't know what kind of calls that young lady had been receiving, but she seemed very thankful to be hearing a kind voice (even if it WAS a democrat's).
Alright, mystic4hillpuma! An enormous thank you from all of us who didn't call but are equally as repulsed by the vitriol.
I'll post another angle on the courageous Alaskan governor, hopefully tomorrow.
Agreed that our party is to be shamed on so many issues lately; I happen to think her upswept hair is very becoming and I happen to love strong, bold colors on women who can carry them off.
Do not agree that just because that moronic little cretin who has been squatting (in every sense of the word) in the White House for eight years has not succeeded on many fronts, a Republican follower will also fail. Another Republican in the White House could succeed simply because the people who thwarted such attempts over the past eight years are plain worn out with the fight. Case in point: all the defecting Dems.
Great to hear from you, mbwido!
However, I'm unconvinced. Perhaps it's reaching, but I continue to believe that we're evolving, despite, and because of, Bush, and every effort he's made to drag us backward. Witness the PUMA movement, 18 Million Voices, Just Say No, bloggers like me, etc. If some of us are worn out, there are others to pick up the torch. If that's even necessary...the democrats are crazed to paint McCain as Bush but any sentient political being can measure what Bush has done and see that emulating him would be political suicide. Will they truly rush to outlaw abortion and teach creationism?
No they won't. First of all, there is no "national" curriculum and every effort to teach creationism or "Intelligent Design" has been thrown out of court, thank goodness.
Roe-v-Wade doesn't need to be overturned, as it's just about toothless in many areas of the country, all with the Dems silent assent.
I will work for Dems down ticket, but I no longer have a dog in the hunt for the top of the ticket.
BlueLyon
Hey Cathylee. So glad to read of your feelings, now that we know the fix was in long ago. We need to see you at a meeting of the former 18 mil voices soon. Not sure if Trishia has renamed it, but I would love to kick around some thoughts on what we like-minded souls might do next. To make it a little more interesting....I am a person from your past!!!! Yes, I knew you when you were just little old Cathy James at Tahoe Truckee High School. In fact, you needed a cap and gown to wear for graduation, so you borrowed my brother's. Remember me? tee hee....
Actually, it's not the President, it's HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt, and by the time he implements his new regulation giving doctors and ANYONE who assists them the equivalent of "conscientious objector" status and the ability to not only refuse to provide prescriptions for birth control, access to IUDs, access to the morning after pill and abortions, you're right, Roe v. Wade is dead and pretty much a thing of the past. Not only will Doctors not be required to provide such services, but they will not be required to refer you out to someone who might. Insurance companies will be next as they'll argue that it's their payments that enable such acts and thus, they 'conscientiously object' to having to pay for and enable such services. Thus, if you live in a small rural community where the only doctor is a 'conscientious objector', or if your health insurance is through an HMO where your primary health care provider is a 'conscientious objector' ... you're screwed! Read more here on my blog for instructions about how you can submit comments against implementation of Sec'y Leavitt's proposed regulation before Sept. 19th. If he's allowed to implement his proposed regulation, it will set back women's right's and women's health care issues decades.
Thank you for the comment and the link, rockspot. I hope all who read this follow up.
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