At the convention of the Republican Party on Wednesday night, September 3, 2008, Gov. Sarah Palin, in her acceptance speech candidate for the GOP's vice president, went out of her way to hurl personal attacks aimed at Senator Barack Obama's character and achievements. Call it the nature of politics. This is where the big boys and the big girls play, we know.
In American presidential politics, a key role of the candidate for VP is that of attack dog. In her case, Mrs. Palin compared herself to a particular breed of dog: a pit bull, with lipstick. And a vicious pit bull she was that night, sinking her teeth intoObama's again and again. She must have had her fill of Barack flesh that night, with full-stomach burp and all.
Where Gov. Palin crossed the line for some of was when she showed her disdain for the work of a community organizer by contrasting that position with hers as mayor of Wasilla, a city of about 8,000 people. She said, as mayor, she had "real responsibilities", clearly implying that a community organizer does not. The delegates at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, went wild with cheers and giggles as Sarah Palin spewed her stinging sarcasms. What Mrs. Palin might not have realized is that her blast of community organizers reveals something very troubling about this woman, whom hardcore Republicans now celebrate as a rising star within the Republican Party. They better be careful that she does not turn into a meteorite or falling star any time soon.
Is Gov. Sarah Palin just plain arrogant, as in "a city mayor is far greater than a community organizer", or is she flat-out ignorant of who community organizers really are, and the very important work they have done, and they still do make this country the envy of the world? Does the woman even realize that she owes much of her current exaltation in the spotlight of American politics to the very efforts of community organizers that she now laughs at? Does she know that without community organizers, the city of which she was mayor and the state of Alaska of which she is governor can hardly function as a civil and caring society in any meaningful sense?
And for Republican die-hards in general, what is there to cheer about, when a governor of a state and the veep candidate of your party belittles community organizers? What are these people thinking? Don't they know that it is through community organizing that everyday people pool their efforts and resources to have a voice in politics, in business, and in society, so as to bring about change that otherwise would never materialize? Don't they have a clue that community organizers have changed society and the world again and again? Without community organizing, America would be a very different country today. In case Sarah Palin and other moose-burger Republicans need to repeat the class, let's just outline some of the incredible ways in which ours is a better country and a better world, thanks to community organizers.
Community organizers have brought people together to ignite some of the greatest social transformations in our society has ever seen:
The Abolition Movement - without community organizers, America would still be a nation of slaves and slave masters. President Abraham Lincoln signed the law, but the funeral of slavery began in the lives and efforts of community organizers. Even Sir William Wilberforce began his abolition efforts in Great Britain in the 19th century as a community organizer before pricking the conscience of the British Empire to remove the blemish of bondage from that culture.
Women Suffrage - through community organizing that resulted in street marches, women gained the right to vote. I'm scratching my head, but could this had prepared the way and laid out the carpet for Sarah Palin to be a VP candidate today? Uhmmm...
Women Liberation Movement - it took community organizers to end the subjugation of women in the civilized world. Mrs. Palin would still be relegated to the kitchen and baking cookies. She would have never served as city mayor or governor without this little insignificant achievement by those despised community organizers. Sarah Palin describes herself as a feminist. OK. So how can you be a feminist in any meaningful sense and not be grateful for the community organizers that sacrificed for you to proudly wear that label today? Shouldn't she be adoring community organizers instead of disparaging them?
The Civil Rights Movement and Desegregation - apart from putting an end to the enslavement of people in America, the end of segregation laws was the greatest medal ever won by community organizers in America. Who was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr? A community organizer! So was Mahatma Ghandi of India. And Nelson Mandella of South Africa began his political career as a community organizer, rallying ordinary South Africans to topple Apartheid.
Charitable Organizations - the United Way, YMCA, WYCA, Boys & Girls Club, Girls Inc., Big Brother Big Sister, Salvation Army, homeless shelters, pregnancy centers, soup kitchens, clothes closets, yes, churches too. Every one of these organizations can be traced to community organizing by ordinary people who found their causes in life and set out to enlist others for the greater good. Every time Gov. Palin and her family attend church, they are enjoying the benefits of efforts by a handful of community organizers who probably started the church they now attend.
Political Parties - there is no way the Democratic Party and the Republican Party can conduct an effective elections campaign, like they are doing right now, without community organizing at the grassroots level. Senator John McCain could not have become the Republican nominee, with Gov. Palin at his side, without community organizers. The Republican National Convention, where Mrs. Palin delivered her speech, probably used some community organizing by volunteers. Not true?
In so many ways, goodwill community organizers are still helping to shape our society and change our world for the better. Of course, by themselves, community organizers could not have brought about all these great changes in our society. But it took community organizers to get the attention of the powers that be, so government leaders could pass legislation or sign executive orders to right wrongs and make lives better. Community organizers are often the hands of love, the steady feet of compassion, the delivery men and delivery women of human services, not only for "the least of these", but for even the well-to-do.
Poking fun at community organizers is an awkward position to put oneself in, as Mrs. Palin has done, and as she is finding out. Her words expose a snobby, look-down-your-nose attitude towards ordinary people and their efforts to help others and effect change in society at large. Scoffing at community organizers unveils exactly the same kind of elitist posture that Senator Barack Obama showed when he spoke of small-town Americans as clinging to their guns and religion in order to cope with economic woes. No matter how hard Mrs. Palin tries to paint herself as "one of us", she shows her true colors, as the beauty queen, whose looks have played a greater role than she's willing to admit, in getting her to city hall and the governor's mansion. When she sports a total disrespect and lack of appreciation for the unsung heroes known as community organizers, she is showing her dark side to an enlightened nation, and unless she humbles herself soon to apologize for her elitist put-down of community organizers, she may regret the night she mocked America's non-war heroes.
The author was born in Liberia, West Africa, and migrated to America in 1991. Mogama's educational background includes theology, computer technology, nonprofit organization, and business management. He
is a husband, father, spiritual leader, practical Bible teacher, public speaker, life coach, writer, and blogger. He is the author of "Color Marriage", which you can purchase at colormarriage.com.
If all you have against Sarah Palin is her comments about community organizers, I would say she is in pretty good shape. I, by the way, am one of those ordinary americans who is supposed to hate her. I support her.
It's interesting that you have said nothing at all about her very clearly demonstrated desire to lower taxes, and drill for oil here in our own country. I understand why you have said nothing about these two facts. They make her look good to the people. Your job, apparantly, is to do everything possible to make her look bad, so these facts are just inconvenient.
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