Wednesday, September 03, 2008

I'm offended.

By the moment in Palin's speech where she said that only one candidate has fought for "you." She paused strategically, of course, and then continued to say he was the only candidate who fought for you when the fight meant life and death.*

I'm offended.

I have a public service job and I'm offended by the notion that unless I put on a military uniform, I'm not fighting for the people.

I'm offended.

Obama worked in the trenches of one of the poorest areas in the country and to insinuate that he wasn't "fighting for America" is insulting to his work, those who do similar work, and those who are benefited by someone giving a rat's ass about them. And to further imply that someone in a socio-economically depressed environment isn't living in a life and death situation shows a fundamental disregard for both facts and human suffering, not to mention a complete lack of understanding of anything other than an upper, middle-class world.

I can tolerate a bit of dem/Obama jabbing at the RNC. I expect it. But to personally insult me, not just my candidate, and others like me sends me through the roof. I can assure you that it is not in my economic interest to do the work I do. I can also assure you that I made the decision to work for the public early on in my professional schooling. To insinuate that my contributions don't count, that I'm not "fighting" for my country (and the people within it) is something that goes beyond ignorance. It goes to the essence of understanding the world beyond you and why I'm a democrat without label and without hesitancy. Kindness and understanding are essential to my world view. Knowing that I'm not the only person in this world and that there are people who have much different experiences from me are what make up the basis of my decision to choose a political party that works for the poor, the under-represented, and the "fighters" of the world.

So fuck you, Palin. You may be one Sephora trip away from a pit bull but you're miles away from understanding what it means to be anyone other than yourself.


*I'd like to point out that if not for that comment, I wouldn't have a lot of negative things to say about her speech. I know what I'm getting into when I tune in to rabid Republicans, as they did a week ago.

8 comments:

The Masochistic Anthropologist said...

Great job! I thought about stealing this and posting it some place on the NYTimes in a comment section or posting a link to your blog. You must have been up late getting this put together, or else you were just that inspired/offended to bang this out easily.

RanaElizabeth said...

The whole speech was just mean-spirited. If you don't have much to say, then I guess a good tactic would be to rely on insults and jabs and rhetoric. But really, the whole time I was watching it I was waiting for her to actually say something that wasn't on the list of Ten Ways to Give a Speech.

Anonymous said...

Ditto.

And the community organizers thing was so petty and ugly. You're scoffing at the guy for turning down a 6-figure job to work for the underserved. And despite all that, I don't know if their experience levels begin to compare.

With her whole elitism schtick, she came off as being derisive of ambition and education. I know she's playing to a different crowd, but she might have alienated suburbia. Since when was being educated a flaw? Shame on Obama for valuing education and having two Ivy League degrees? God forbid our leaders are smart.

Tina said...

And the comment about wanting to read terrorists their rights? I mean come on. That's batshit-crazy-right-wing-future-Ruby-Ridger talk if I ever heard it.

Obama doesn't want to read terrorists their rights. He doesn't want them to be tortured into false confessions. Heaven forbid. Teddy Roosevelt my ass. I'm also offended the McCain people keep saying he's a Teddy Roosevelt Republican. Teddy would be a Democrat today and he will smite you in the afterlife for using his name in such a dastardly manner.

Anonymous said...

I KNOW.

I wanted to die during Mittens' and Giuliani's speeches. Some of the things people cheered were so unbelievably ugly.

Tina said...

I didn't see Mitt but Guiliani is already a little goblin, so I didn't really expect much more from him. He was really nasty though. He was the nastiest of all the politicians I've seen this election season. If there is a hell, he's got a special seat and not just for this. Guy's a real jackass. Apparently he's like 4'8 or something, so I think any troll comparisons are apt.

ShannonInSeattle said...

I will be honest, I watched Palin’s speech on YouTube because frankly I’d rather spend my evening getting up-to-speed on Project Runway than listen to the rhetoric of the RNC. But I agree wholeheartedly with you that the speech was laced with arrogance and accomplishment from a woman who governs a population less than the size of Seattle. Unfortunately though the entire GOP has no idea what it means to be poor, oppressed, or frankly even lack affordable healthcare, and they all could do well to spend 30 days in a Morgan Spurlock film. It’s frustrating to hear issues such as habeas corpus actions turned into one-liners about “reading terrorist their rights” because for one, it grossly misstates what a habeas corpus action is, and for two, it flies in the face of the idea of due process that caused the very formation of this country!

And on a more basal level, what the hell is up with the high ponytail? I predict a scrunchie before we see the last of Palin.

Tina said...

Ha! I personally love all the fleeces on the youtube videos. Of course it's cold in Alaska but as I'm always telling my friend J, you can do cold in style.

This is not a gender-related issue either. I'd feel the exact same way if Barack took off the cashmere and donned a North Face fleece.