"We should be afraid, but not of Sarah Palin"

The following letter to the editor was published in the River News Herald in Rio Vista, California:

FIRING BACK at “Taking Aim”

There seems to be a national epidemic of obsessive compulsive behavior commonly known as “Palin-itis”. While most often observed in mainstream media, it was most recently manifested locally in last week’s column by Al Eaton. The symptoms are an irrational and overwhelming need to mock, demean, denigrate and ultimately destroy Sarah Palin and her family. It can be done by lies, innuendo, half-truths, and of course, the ever popular unnamed and anonymous sources. I can’t help but wonder what they are afraid of.

According to the liberal playbook, it appears to be perfectly acceptable to adopt both a sexist and patronizing attitude toward Governor Palin. Mr. Eaton chose to employ “cutesy”, “folksy”, “”down-home, dumbed-down philosophy”, “attractive appearance”, and “adorable little wink” in his essay. The National Organization of Women will probably offer the same support to her and express the same moral outrage as they did with Carrie Prejean. By the way, what was their position on Letterman’s crude joke about her daughter? Maybe we should ask Don Imus about double standards. Mr. Eaton’s column vaguely resembled Todd Purdum’s puerile hit piece in Vanity Fair but then again, Mr. Eaton isn’t married to Dee Dee Meyers (Bill Clinton’s press secretary) and only had the liberal talking points with which to work. Obviously, this was not a level playing field. Maybe one should read Governor Palin’s commentary and analysis on cap and trade before concluding who is “dumbed-down.” Debate the message; don’t kill the messenger.

I particularly abhorred the reference to “political scandal or embarrassment on the horizon” and possibly being drawn into “one of the many criminal investigations that been popping-up in Alaskan politics.” The most cursory of research efforts would have easily established that there have been TWENTY ethics charges levied against Governor Palin and ZERO convictions. Apparently, one individual woman has filed five of those allegations. It almost made me think that Alaskans have become a bunch of Chicago “wanna be’s” when it comes to political corruption! Quite honestly, if I’d have run up $500,000 in legal fees defending myself against frivolous complaints and spurious allegations, I’d be looking for a better paying job as well!!

I am also annoyed by the effete intellectual snobbery inherent in general attempts to paint Palin supporters and conservatives as uneducated hicks. Too many people have confused their education with their diplomas. I do believe however, that there are too many voters who can’t tell the difference between Sarah Palin and Tina Fey; there are too many people who can’t tell the difference between what a person says and what a person does; there are too many people who confuse being articulate with being able to read from a teleprompter; there are too many people who confuse being cool with being competent; there are too many people who confuse feeling with thinking. You are certainly entitled to your own opinion but you are not entitled to your own facts. There is nothing uneducated about fiscal responsibility and protecting our borders and our way of life. There is nothing uneducated about clinging to religion and/or guns. Maybe more people should educate themselves about Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. This 1940’s community organizer in Chicago was a communist and an atheist. (I recognize the redundancy.) He states that “you may have to destroy an economy to make people dependent on government.” No wonder his amoral strategy for the redistribution of wealth and social justice was contained in a book dedicated to Lucifer.

As a candidate, President Obama rightfully decried the half trillion dollar deficit of the prior administration. I don’t see how that has translated into giving President Obama and Congress leeway for exceeding a trillion dollar deficit this year alone! The stimulus bill, which many congressional representatives did not even read, for “shovel ready” projects to “jolt” the economy is not working. Furthermore, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office now estimates that the House version of health care will itself cost more than a trillion more dollars and will not result in any appreciable reduction in health care costs. If it was possible for government to spend its way into prosperity, we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place. I fear that just as that brilliant council of economic advisors “guessed wrong” on unemployment, they have guessed wrong and overestimated tax revenues so, just as in California, the problem will only worsen with time.

More people should educate themselves on our Constitution and see where it says government should be owning and running insurance companies, car companies, banks, homes and health care. I also wonder why Congress doesn’t have approval and oversight authority for thirty-some “czars” in this new shadow government. If there is a “narcissistic personality disorder”, I do not think it belongs to Sarah Palin but to another administration that is going where no administration has gone before. (My apologies to the Trekkies.) I believe we should be afraid, but not of Sarah Palin. Don’t you think it’s time to give her and her family a break? After all, you still have time to blame everything on George Bush!

William L. Garvin