I am Sarah Palin — Colleen Wainwright a/k/a the Communicatrix
Mindful moms are jumping with joy today because the Communicatrix is guest blogging! Here she goes:
There was an ad campaign a few years ago developed to raise world awareness of the AIDS crisis on the African continent while putting a more human face on it.
It was called “I am African “, and featured lots of very un-African celebrities, beautifully posed and photographed, all styled with various native-type markings and adornments. The message was very much of the “we are the world” flavor, for better or worse. If nothing else, it was striking enough to generate conversation, and in a crowded world of messages, attention is the first step toward change.
I’m not ready to call the attacks on Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin worthy of the kind of effort that went into getting HIV medication to children unlucky enough to have been born on the wrong continent, but I am growing both weary and wary of how easy it’s become to get all lowest-common-denominator on the Governor’s ass.
Let me be the first to admit to my diehard liberalism, my middling skepticism and my abhorrence of knee-jerk nationalism. It would be hard for me to imagine the circumstances under which I’d vote for a McCain/Palin ticket; let’s just say I hope the world never comes to that, and let it go.
But I am also a feminist. And by feminist, I do not mean “humanist” —I mean full-on, we’re-not-equal-now-but-we-should-be, death-to-patriarchy feminism. The scary, hairy kind. (Although I don’t really think I come off as either. Building bridges, that’s more my speed.)
As an ardent supporter of feminism, I feel the same uneasiness about bashing Palin’s feminist choices (how dare the good, Christian mom abandon her beloved spawn!) as I do about the knee-jerk assumption that questioning her fitness on other grounds (experience, tolerance, conduct) calls into question my own. It ain’t a buffet, kids; it’s all or nothing. Let your objections be on true neutral ground or let them go: they’re not real objections.
I have no idea what it’s like to be a mother at all, much less the kind of mother who has to make hard choices; Penelope Trunk, who’s made some brutal ones to balance her family and her Brazen Career, speaks rather eloquently to that, so I’ll let her.
For my part, I’m going to spend these last few weeks focusing on issues and capability, on fitness and conduct, on track records and vision.
It’s easier to let the discussion devolve to lowest-common-denominator points, and for the snark-festers among us (hand raised, guiltily), far more fun.
When I wake up on November 5th, though, I’m going to feel much better about whatever happened if I managed to tough it out on the high road.
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About the Author: Mindful mom is a collaborative blog for those interested in the integration of mindfulness into workaday life. Sometimes we’re more successful at it than other times. In the spirit of open source, we decided to let everyone in on our process and evolve transparently - on-line as opposed to off-line.
Kelly Hobkirk | Oct 24, 2008 | Reply
This is a great, thought-provoking post. I immediately wondered how all of the media rabid naysayers will regard their behavior after this election is completed? Imagine if someone close to you was publicly marauded in the same way as the media has Sarah Palin’s every word and action. Imagine if it was you!
I’ll grant that Katie Couric’s interviews with Mrs. Palin have ratcheted up my laughter meter at times, but enough is enough. In spite of the fact that it would take a real live impending death threat for me to vote for the McCain/Palin ticket, I would much prefer to hear about the positive accomplishments of Sarah Palin as opposed the onslaught of negativity spewing forth in popular media to discredit every breath she takes.