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September 2008 
Move Beyond Gender
Posted on Sep 14th, 2008
by 
Nancy
Nancy
I’ve been thinking a lot about the upcoming election. And, most importantly, the impact of Sarah Palin. Honestly, I think the thing that disturbs me the most is the idea of voting for Sarah Palin just because she’s a woman. One of the hosts of the View yesterday (who is an incredibly intelligent woman overall) was going on and on about how great it was to see a strong woman as part of the election now that Hillary is out of the mix. On one level I get it. Of course it’s wonderful to see a female finally being elevated to a position generally only open to males. And yet, it’s incredibly crucial that the conversation doesn’t stop there.
For me, Sarah Palin is the opposite of everything I’ve ever held true as a strong advocate of women's rights. And the complete opposite of everything Hillary stands for. The simple facts that Sarah Palin doesn’t believe in a woman’s right to decide what to do with her own body – that even if she’s brutally raped, she’ll be forced to keep the rapist’s child; or that she doesn’t believe in sex education; or that instead of nurturing and taking care of our environment and wildlife, she advocates drilling (even in places where McCain is against it) and eliminating animals like the polar bears from the endangered species list. All of these (and more) make her the opposite of what I want from someone who could potentially become the leader of our country – regardless of sex.
At a time where the entire world needs to come together to creatively find solutions for the planet, I see Sarah Palin supporting a very “me-first” mentality. It’s ok to tear down the earth, its animals, its countries, and its people – as long as it gives us everything we demand, right here and right now. We absolutely need visionaries to unite the planet, and yet I don’t see an ounce of forward-thinking in the viewpoints or solutions Palin is putting forward. And that makes me sad.
So, please, I beg of you — don’t vote for Sarah Palin simply because she’s a woman. Study her, understand what she believes in, move past the “I like that she’s a hockey mom” phase and truly explore what she stands for. If at the end of the day you still want to vote for a ticket where Sarah Palin could very well become the next President of the United States, please do so. That’s your right and privilege as an American citizen. But please don’t do it just because she’s a woman or because you like her personality. This election is far too critical for the good of the planet (not just our own backyards), and we must all actively participate with our hearts, minds and souls.
For me, Sarah Palin is the opposite of everything I’ve ever held true as a strong advocate of women's rights. And the complete opposite of everything Hillary stands for. The simple facts that Sarah Palin doesn’t believe in a woman’s right to decide what to do with her own body – that even if she’s brutally raped, she’ll be forced to keep the rapist’s child; or that she doesn’t believe in sex education; or that instead of nurturing and taking care of our environment and wildlife, she advocates drilling (even in places where McCain is against it) and eliminating animals like the polar bears from the endangered species list. All of these (and more) make her the opposite of what I want from someone who could potentially become the leader of our country – regardless of sex.
At a time where the entire world needs to come together to creatively find solutions for the planet, I see Sarah Palin supporting a very “me-first” mentality. It’s ok to tear down the earth, its animals, its countries, and its people – as long as it gives us everything we demand, right here and right now. We absolutely need visionaries to unite the planet, and yet I don’t see an ounce of forward-thinking in the viewpoints or solutions Palin is putting forward. And that makes me sad.
So, please, I beg of you — don’t vote for Sarah Palin simply because she’s a woman. Study her, understand what she believes in, move past the “I like that she’s a hockey mom” phase and truly explore what she stands for. If at the end of the day you still want to vote for a ticket where Sarah Palin could very well become the next President of the United States, please do so. That’s your right and privilege as an American citizen. But please don’t do it just because she’s a woman or because you like her personality. This election is far too critical for the good of the planet (not just our own backyards), and we must all actively participate with our hearts, minds and souls.
Access: Public
Incredibly well said. Lovely to hear from you Nancy!
Nice post – I am glad to see others thinking more critically on this issue of her as VP, and I hope that more will follow.
From a first glance, she does seem like the kind of strong woman that one would want in office and she has that immediate public appeal – an average mom coming up through the ranks to potentially hold a very high office. I think people may be more attracted to her rise to fame rather than what she actually offers, and thus it seems that much of her credentials are overlooked.
It's funny how we, as a society so abundantly concerned with equality, are willing to bypass very important issues because it appeases our need to do what is considered politically correct.