Wednesday, September 10, 2008

An email I sent

To http://womenagainstsarahpalin.blogspot.com/

To whom it may concern,

I am not an American woman, but a Canadian citizen. Fifteen years ago, we experienced our first female Prime Minister, a Conservative named Kim Campbell. As much as I was not exactly strongly politically astute at 11 years old, I did have the sense even then that, as much as I was proud as a girl of having a woman as Prime Minister, it didn't just matter that she was female, but competent. Sadly, she wasn't, and she set the movement of women in politics back years - we have not since had a female party leader come any further than third place in our elections.

I disapprove of Sarah Palin as a candidate - her anti-choice, pro-gun, anti-sex education, pro-corporation, anti-contraception, pro-corruption political makeup are personally rancid to me as a centre-leftist, and a longtime Clinton supporter, insofar as I have 'favourites' in American politics. However, I also disapprove of the fact that as the most public and famous woman in the country right now, she will somehow be perceived as standing for myself, or my American counterparts, as women. I simply hope the American public realizes that one can be the good things Mrs. Palin is - a supportive and loving mom, an eager grandmother-to-be, and an educated and (by all accounts) intelligent woman - without taking the lamentable negatives she represents as a politician.

It disappoints me that someone in her position, as the mother of a pregnant teenager and a disabled infant, a very educated and, by all accounts, intelligent woman, and a woman who shares the same Christian faith as I do, can stand for the things she stands for. What is best for women, to empower them and enable them to have better chances than their mothers and grandmothers, includes the ability to make informed decisions about one's sex life, having as many options as possible at their disposal to deal with the repercussions of those decisions (especially in the case where those decisions weren't their own, for example in the case of rape, abortions for which Mrs. Palin also opposes), and social programs accessible for themselves and their families ensuring their health and employability. Mrs. Palin does not represent any of these things.

As a woman, if I were able to vote in the United States of America in 2008, Barack Obama would have my vote. I hope that others like myself recognize that and agree. And for anyone who believes the Republican pandering that this woman is somehow a stand-in for Hillary Clinton, who was unfortunately denied the chance to be the Democratic nominee this time around - please do not lose sight of the fact that all she and Mrs. Clinton have in common is their gender, which does not matter at the end of the day. If you want to see a glass ceiling broken, while still having someone in the White House who represents positive change and looks after the American people, vote Obama in November. Yes we can!

Thank you,
Sarah Daigen
Kitchener Ontario

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry honey, the only thing rancid here is your intellect and judgment. How you can want a woman (Clinton) who is nothing more than a glory hound with a name over a solid person who has worked there way up and actually gotten elected with out a famous name is truly a joke! Vote for Obama fits you perfect, 0 experience at running anything and a traitor who said in his own book he would covert to Islam if he felt they were winning, sad! Maybe you should actually read his book. As a woman you should be ashamed. Margaret Thatcher was a top notch head of state for years, so just because your female failed don't tar ours with the same brush, gender has nothing to do with it. GO PALIN! Plus you aren't American so butt out.

SARcasm said...

My response to this commenter: choose the most applicable

If this is who I think it is: if you have something to say to me, at least attach your name and better yet, talk to me directly. For someone who can't stand anonymous flaming this is SO hypocritical ... as is reading the blog of someone you've decided you dislike.

If this is some random US reactionary: as I'm sure you know and love, the rest of the world IS affected by the 49% of you ridiculous enough to support GWB, McCain, Palin and their like. I'm sorry, I have a stake. Beyond which, my husband is an American citizen; either way, free country, free information superhighway.

If either of the above apply: stop reading what I have to say if you don't like it. *points up* 'close' button is that way. Alt-F4 works too.