From the Daily Kos
Not everyone from Wasilla agrees with Sarah Palin. I feel it is important for my reputation as a human being who grew up in Wasilla, AK to take a stand. My family and I moved to Alaska in the early 70's. I went to public school in Wasilla from 1st through 12th grade, and I graduated from Wasilla High School in 1986. During that time, I was also a Blue Bird, a Camp Fire Girl, a Rainbow girl, a member of the First Presbyterian Church, and I took History classes from a lady named Jean Krauss. (Do you remember her, Warriors?)
There is Nothing in my upbringing in Wasilla that ever promoted or tolerated the idea that it is ok, good, or necessary to torture anyone. In fact I clearly remember learning about the Geneva Conventions in which it is stated "Grave breaches of the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions include the following acts if committed against a person protected by the convention: willful killing, torture or inhumane treatment including biological experiments." Also - leaders who tortured people, i.e. Hitler & Stalin - not good guys, right? I don't want us to be that kind of nation.
Furthermore, combining the acts of water-boarding (torture) and baptism (a sacred spiritual ritual) is an idea so reprehensible it could be used as a theme in Game of Thrones. Not that I am suggesting that. Speaking of GoT - did you see what Daenarys did to the Masters who tortured people? Yep, they got the exact same treatment. Karma - it's a bitch, unless you're on the right side of it.
There is no theology in which it is ok to forcibly convert/baptize someone into a religion they do not freely accept, by means of torture. Just so THAT'S clear. But then again, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
Sarah has done and said many things over the years that I disagree with, am embarrassed by, am furious over - but this one just puts it so far over the line that I feel it's important to make a statement about it.
I know how I became me, and where I got my values. I cannot understand how Sarah got her values, and I resent that every time I tell someone where I am from their first response is "do you know Sarah Palin?" Well, unfortunately, yes. Then I have to go into a 10 minute explanation of how we are completely and utterly different. Because you know, I'm from Wasilla and there's kind of a taint now. Plus, I am a patriot, and I think that word has been co-opted by people whose idea of what it means is incorrect and possibly immoral.
In my mind, a patriot is a person who reads, understands and lives by the values in the Constitution, and who wants America to be an ethical leader in the world. I don't want to be associated with this other woman from Wasilla whose values are so off.
So I just wanted you to know - not everyone from Wasilla agrees with S.P. or shares her ideas. I know you probably know that, but I'm just putting it out there, in writing.
And by the way, here's what I believe in that is different from S.P.
I understand the need for guns in Alaska. We hunted it, we shot it, we ate it. We did not however, believe it was a good idea to tote guns to school, or football games, or beer parties down by the lake, or other public places. Guns in my house were locked in a cabinet so secure even my Dad had a hard time getting them out. More guns is not good.
My family is Christian, and by that I mean we believed in the Golden Rule, and we respected the faiths and wisdom traditions of all creeds, people and nations. Including Muslims, Jews, and Atheists. We didn't view ourselves as better than people who were "different." We believed in tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness and helping people. We realized that radicals of any religious practice can be dangerous. We did not exclude people. Also - separation of Church & State: a good and necessary thing.
We had respect for nature. We knew that the fish, trees, lakes, rivers, coastline and wildlife of Alaska are precious and should never be over-hunted, over-fished, destroyed or compromised due to the demands of the oil and mining industries. "Drill Baby, Drill" is not aligned with this point of view.
We basically wanted the ability for ourselves and our neighbors to thrive, and be safe, and to live freely but in harmony with others. Much like FDR said in the Four Freedoms:
There is Nothing in my upbringing in Wasilla that ever promoted or tolerated the idea that it is ok, good, or necessary to torture anyone. In fact I clearly remember learning about the Geneva Conventions in which it is stated "Grave breaches of the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions include the following acts if committed against a person protected by the convention: willful killing, torture or inhumane treatment including biological experiments." Also - leaders who tortured people, i.e. Hitler & Stalin - not good guys, right? I don't want us to be that kind of nation.
Furthermore, combining the acts of water-boarding (torture) and baptism (a sacred spiritual ritual) is an idea so reprehensible it could be used as a theme in Game of Thrones. Not that I am suggesting that. Speaking of GoT - did you see what Daenarys did to the Masters who tortured people? Yep, they got the exact same treatment. Karma - it's a bitch, unless you're on the right side of it.
There is no theology in which it is ok to forcibly convert/baptize someone into a religion they do not freely accept, by means of torture. Just so THAT'S clear. But then again, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
Sarah has done and said many things over the years that I disagree with, am embarrassed by, am furious over - but this one just puts it so far over the line that I feel it's important to make a statement about it.
I know how I became me, and where I got my values. I cannot understand how Sarah got her values, and I resent that every time I tell someone where I am from their first response is "do you know Sarah Palin?" Well, unfortunately, yes. Then I have to go into a 10 minute explanation of how we are completely and utterly different. Because you know, I'm from Wasilla and there's kind of a taint now. Plus, I am a patriot, and I think that word has been co-opted by people whose idea of what it means is incorrect and possibly immoral.
In my mind, a patriot is a person who reads, understands and lives by the values in the Constitution, and who wants America to be an ethical leader in the world. I don't want to be associated with this other woman from Wasilla whose values are so off.
So I just wanted you to know - not everyone from Wasilla agrees with S.P. or shares her ideas. I know you probably know that, but I'm just putting it out there, in writing.
And by the way, here's what I believe in that is different from S.P.
I understand the need for guns in Alaska. We hunted it, we shot it, we ate it. We did not however, believe it was a good idea to tote guns to school, or football games, or beer parties down by the lake, or other public places. Guns in my house were locked in a cabinet so secure even my Dad had a hard time getting them out. More guns is not good.
My family is Christian, and by that I mean we believed in the Golden Rule, and we respected the faiths and wisdom traditions of all creeds, people and nations. Including Muslims, Jews, and Atheists. We didn't view ourselves as better than people who were "different." We believed in tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness and helping people. We realized that radicals of any religious practice can be dangerous. We did not exclude people. Also - separation of Church & State: a good and necessary thing.
We had respect for nature. We knew that the fish, trees, lakes, rivers, coastline and wildlife of Alaska are precious and should never be over-hunted, over-fished, destroyed or compromised due to the demands of the oil and mining industries. "Drill Baby, Drill" is not aligned with this point of view.
We basically wanted the ability for ourselves and our neighbors to thrive, and be safe, and to live freely but in harmony with others. Much like FDR said in the Four Freedoms:
"In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world.—Franklin D. Roosevelt, excerpted from the State of the Union Address to the Congress, January 6, 1941
The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world.
The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world.
The fourth is freedom from fear—which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.
That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb."
So no, no water-boarding.
Whoever this woman is, thank you for speaking out!
If you want to hear FDR's speech regarding the four freedoms see above. Every great leader should adhere to this.
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