Is John McCain more of a hero than other POW's and heroic veterans? In other words, does he deserve to have his name added to the very exclusive list of names of Presidents of the United States because his sacrifice and accomplishments were so great?
The guy was a hero, but should he still be viewed as a hero? McCain knows he has a high chance of dying soon. If he makes it to the election, and his 'hail mary' choice of Sarah Palin pays off, then he'll go to his grave with another honor, that of having been a President of the United States. But what will his legacy be? I'm sorry to be so horribly blunt and possibly offensive, but is he senile or cynical in his choice of Sarah Palin?
Those veterans I've been priviledged to know would never place attaining personal honor above the good of the country. Getting ones name on that exclusive list would not be so important to the veterans I've known as to cause them to saddle the USA with a Sarah Palin.
But what is 'a' Sarah Palin? From my impression, Sarah Palin is the 'pretty attention getter' who cozies up to power and takes the credit for the real work of other women and men. I could be wrong, and I hate to stereotype, but I've worked with enough people 'community organizing', that I know when I've seen certain personality types. As unscientific as it may be, I claim Sarah Palin fits a type. Not all people fit a 'type', because some are so exceptional or unique that they are more 'individual' than other people. Well, in my experience, I'd have to say that I've seen Sarah before.
Sarah is not a 'do-er', she is not the one who stays late to wash pots after a church spaghetti dinenr, she's the one chatting up the beautiful or influential people if there are any to be found. Otherwise, she's out of there. Sarah is about Sarah. She's the one whoshows up conveniently dressed too nicely to do the grunt work, passing it off to the 'real people', while chatting and manuvering, casting aspersions on rivals, and getting near the kind of people that can do her some good. Ambitious and ruthless. If I'm right, a trail of the trampled will surface.
So my question is not 'does McCain deserve the right to saddle us with a Sarah Palin', it is, 'who or what is Sarah Palin like'?
Let me ask who hasn't done some 'community organizing'? What IS 'community organizing'?
A volunteer fireman who organizes a bean soup sale to raise money for new equipment is a community organizer. A parent who organizes a science fair for their elementary school is a community organizer. A person who helps transport girl scouts to raise money selling cookies, or boy scouts to sell popcorn is a community organizer. A person who makes phone calls to get helpers for a church spaghetti dinner is a community organizer. This is a very, very long list. Anyone who can't put themselves on the list of 'community organizers' isn't really understanding the backbone of what makes America GREAT!
The examples above are of people doing all the little things that make the country work. There are people who organize efforts that are even more challenging. Fighting homelessness, organizing womens shelters, improving adult literacy, again the list goes on, but where did it start? How about with people like Thomas Paine, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, and company. Yes my fellow citizens, these first organizers started us on a great tradition of getting involved with your community and serving all the people, not just themselves. We have built on their example and now explicitly serve all races, sexes and religions without bias.
So I say shame on you Sarah Palin, for putting down Barak Obamas community organizing. All of us that have been there know that if you are 'one of the people', you will humbly do your part and be a community organizer.
Thank You Barak!
