Drill, Drill, Drill

I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar bears.

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.

But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence and war.

I believe that the McCain/Palin ticket is one of the most dangerous choices of my lifetime, and should this country chose those candidates the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in so many areas that America may never recover. But what is equally disturbing is the impact that duo would have on the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this is not a joke. In my lifetime I have seen the clownish, the inept, the bizarre be elected to the presidency with regularity.

Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution. I take this as a metaphor. In her world and the world of Fundamentalists nothing changes or gets better or evolves. She does not believe in global warming. The melting of the arctic, the storms that are destroying our cities, the pollution and rise of cancers, are all part of God's plan. She is fighting to take the polar bears off the endangered species list. The earth, in Palin's view, is here to be taken and plundered. The wolves and the bears are here to be shot and plundered. The oil is here to be taken and plundered. Iraq is here to be taken and plundered. As she said herself of the Iraqi war, "It was a task from God."

Sarah Palin does not believe in abortion. She does not believe women who are raped and incested and ripped open against their will should have a right to determine whether they have their rapist's baby or not.

She obviously does not believe in sex education or birth control. I imagine her daughter was practicing abstinence and we know how many babies that makes.

Sarah Palin does not much believe in thinking. From what I gather she has tried to ban books from the library, has a tendency to dispense with people who think independently. She cannot tolerate an environment of ambiguity and difference. This is a woman who could and might very well be the next president of the United States. She would govern one of the most diverse populations on the earth.

Sarah believes in guns. She has her own custom Austrian hunting rifle. She has been known to kill 40 caribou at a clip. She has shot hundreds of wolves from the air.

Sarah believes in God. That is of course her right, her private right. But when God and Guns come together in the public sector, when war is declared in God's name, when the rights of women are denied in his name, that is the end of separation of church and state and the undoing of everything America has ever tried to be.

I write to my sisters. I write because I believe we hold this election in our hands. This vote is a vote that will determine the future not just of the U.S., but of the planet. It will determine whether we create policies to save the earth or make it forever uninhabitable for humans. It will determine whether we move towards dialogue and diplomacy in the world or whether we escalate violence through invasion, undermining and attack. It will determine whether we go for oil, strip mining, coal burning or invest our money in alternatives that will free us from dependency and destruction. It will determine if money gets spent on education and healthcare or whether we build more and more methods of killing. It will determine whether America is a free open tolerant society or a closed place of fear, fundamentalism and aggression.

If the Polar Bears don't move you to go and do everything in your power to get Obama elected then consider the chant that filled the hall after Palin spoke at the RNC, "Drill Drill Drill." I think of teeth when I think of drills. I think of rape. I think of destruction. I think of domination. I think of military exercises that force mindless repetition, emptying the brain of analysis, doubt, ambiguity or dissent. I think of pain.

Do we want a future of drilling? More holes in the ozone, in the floor of the sea, more holes in our thinking, in the trust between nations and peoples, more holes in the fabric of this precious thing we call life?

Comments

[Hollism]

Thank you Julie SA! Eve Ensler based her article on rumor and innuendo instead of honest investigation; you have refuted her emotional ranting with facts. I wish Eve had done her homework and not made feminists look so emotional and ignorant. Nothing is as black and white as both sides are making it. We go through this political game every 4 years and most people get sucked in. If anyone has voted in at least one presidential election they should remember that this is just politics, as usual. If I want "hope", I go to spiritual leaders to get it. If I want "real change", I would not expect it from either the Republicans or Democrats. The "truth" is not on either side, it is probably somewhere in the middle. As a professor, I keep telling my students to use the facts and go to primary sources for their research. It scares me that voters use blogs, innuendo, rumor and the mainstream media that is more focused on getting an audience than journalism to make one of the most important decisions of their lives...selecting a president!

[Kalli]

Ms. Hollism,

While I fully agree with the need to be honest and well researched, perhaps you should take some of your own advice. I agree the Ms Ensler was not always dilligent in an age when rumor permeates our email in boxes and filtering through the muck of over information, much of what Ms. Ensler has stated is not essentially false.

Gov. Palin is adamantly anti-choice. She states flatly that she is opposed to abortion, even in the case of rape or incest. Her only break on her anti-choice belief from her running mate is that she concedes on the grounds where the mother's life is endangered. Telling someone she can't choose, only her doctor can, is not pro-choice by any stretch of the imagination. Her running mate DOES support the overturning of Roe v. Wade as does the Republican platform.

[Kalli]

I am not aware of any point that Gov. Palin stated she didn't believe in evolution, but she admittedly supports the teaching of creationism as being accurate. She doesn't believe in Global Warming, she did sue the Bush administration to have Polar Bears removed from the endangered species list, she does support the aerial hunting of wolves. She did support the removal of the book "Daddy's Roommate" from the Wasilla library in 1995 (she admits she never actually read the book). In 1996 she asked if the librarian would allow books to be banned and after the librarian said no, the librarian was fired and only hired back after public outcry. (Why would you even need to ask this question if you didn't want to do it?) Gov. Palin has fired officials she disagreed with. Palin does believe in God and did say "(pray) Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them (our soldiers) out on a task (War in Iraq) that is from God." Lastly Gov. Palin is a lifetime member of the NRA.

[Kalli]

None of that is false and greatly supports much of what Ms. Ensler has stated in her OPINION piece. About, the only statement that I can find little or no support for was the bit about owning a custom Austrian gun and shooting mass numbers of caribou and wolves. Admittedly in some cases Ms. Ensler makes a logical step forward from some of Gov. Palin's supported views. At no point does Ms. Ensler state that Gov. Palin is not entitled to those views, but she does rightfully state that many of those views (especially about choice) is in direct conflict with generalized feminist beliefs. Which is all very relevant to the discussion at hand. While I would love to see a woman in the White House, I want to see a woman who will advance views that I agree with, and in that area, Gov. Palin fails miserably. It's not about putting a woman in the White House. It is about putting a good candidate into the White House. And on that score, Palin isn't it.

[dware]

Wake up, Wake up, Wake up!
I I would personally bludgeon one polar bear in exchange for each American life that would be spared the atrocities of the Middle East. The region is cesspool of degradation, oppression, fear, and hatred.
Realizing how difficult it must be for an artist to function in the real world, as separated from reality as they are; I extend a certain degree of sympathy and understanding. However I would be far more interested the opinion and position of a cadet headed to Iraq.
Why do some artists and celebrities feel the need to take center stage in issues they have no perspective on?
Their lives are based on fiction, made evident in this blog by the fact that it begins with a reference to a dream and flows with speculation, assumption and lies. Why don’t we establish a new rule; artists make art, and those who actually live in the real world will comment on real world issues.

[Marcie1234]

The real world? I live in the real world. I'm an American teacher living in the middle east with my son and husband. And let me tell you something, many Americans are NOT living in the real world. When we go home in the summers, we are appalled at the propoganda surrounding the middle east. This summer when we arrived in Chicago, we had to give our son a lecture, "son, we're no longer in the middle east. This is America, you cannot talk to strangers, you have to hold our hand. There are people here who might want to harm you. Why is it safer in the middle east? It's complicated, son." We've traveled to Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. What we find in these places are peaceful, generous people and yes, we tell them that we are American and they embrace us. Is it possible that artists and celebrities have the resources and desire to learn more about the world which leads to shattering of stereotypes and misconceptions? What America needs now is a president who does not fill the public with fear of the world being a dangerous place. We need someone who can build bridges, not destroy them. If we want a safer, more peaceful world, we need Obama. The alternative truly frightens me.

[LeviCro]

this is sooooo true.. and exactly how I see it....

[Hollism]

I am 52 and have been a feminist since I was 16 yrs. old. Unlike Ms. Steinem, I actually lived the Feminist life as a single mother raising 2 children. I fought hard for the women of the next generation to NOT go through what so many women did during that time. I've also been a Democrat for 30+ yrs. but I'm totally offended by this so-called Feminist perspective.

First, Ensler's message is riddled with inaccuracies. If Eve had even taken the time to investigate the facts on Palin, she would've found out that a lot of what she believes about her is not true or distorted. The facts would’ve calmed her down from extremist thinking and actually held up her argument.

And for all of you that have forgotten, the Feminist movement was about giving women the right to make their own choices; to have babies or not; to have an abortion or not; to have a career or not; to be married or not, etc. Feminism was not about being a Republican or Democrat. It wasn't about all women believing the same ideologies. It was about women having the freedom to make choices that were right for them. Palin is a product of the Feminist Movement and is doing what we wanted women to do within her belief system. So, if you don't like her and don't agree with her, please don't use Feminist ideals to beat her up.

[1111]

Have you not read what you wrote Hollism? The feminist movement is about women being empowered to make their own choices, based on their beliefs and NOT about the government taking away our right to decide. If I want to have an abortion, then I want to the right to decide what happens to my body, based on my beliefs, not some right wing conversatives belief systems. What Palin and Mc Cain represent are the old 3rd dimensional beliefs and I am appalled that a so called "feminist" would think of going back to the archaic times where women were having back alley abortions.

The Republicans offer nothing new to their campaign, and use patriotism to bring the fear card into play.

[Hollism]

Dear Fan of 1111,

There is nothing that Palin has said or done that would lead us to believe she would put effort into reversing Roe vs. Wade. I have friends who are Republicans; friends who believe that global warming is not caused by man; friends who don't believe in evolution; friends that have strong religious beliefs. As a professor, that believes the opposite of all that, I'm not threatened by someone having an idea or belief that is contrary to mine. I believe that we all have the right to believe in what we want. I look at people's actions not their words and judge them accordingly. I also believe that in a Democratic system, "We the people" have tremendous power to make our voices heard. McCain doesn't scare me. Bush was and is scary. Even my Uncle who is a diehard Republican and knew Bush Sr. personally, was afraid of Bush Jr. Focus on the facts and don't be manipulated by fear.

[63rdStPatriot]

I don't see any evidence of yours to support paragraph #2. What don't you get specific?

What people object to with regards to Palin is the fact that she does NOT want women to have choice. She would NOT ever be mayor, governor, or running for vice president if it weren't for women completely unlike her, who actually believed that women had the right to live like full humans and who were willing to suffer and be tortured in American prison cells to give us that right (yes, America has always tortured!). Ms. Palin wants to take women back to the 15th century. She is just an "okeydoke" token woman. She has to be just full of cognitive dissonance, living her professional life as a free person, yet wanting to remove that very freedom. Go figure.

[NYCexile]

Make sure you save a copy of this, Ms. Ensler. Reread it on November 5th, and you might understand how your brand of conditional feminism lost the White House for Obama.

[Hollism]

Well said.

[PoodleinPink]

Thank you, Ms. Ensler, for writing this piece to again bring attention to the seriousness and plight we, as women, are faced with in this election year. It is sad to think of the number of women who have actually fallen for this DRAMA that is being played out on the USA stage and world stage. Whether or not we realize it, the whole world is observing and wondering where the intelligent, astute, and knowledgeable women are, if any even exists in this country. Anyone can see what Sarah Palin is being used to accomplish in this election. "Put a female on the ticket, draw some of the 18,000,000 uncommitted women voters, and we don't have to do anything but walk back into the White House".

It is sad to think that after all of the hard work accomplished by great women leaders, the female status has been compromised by such an example. Everything that the women's movement stands for has been negated and reduced to "lipstick, a beauty pageant, high heel shoes, designer glasses, and more importantly, a rifle-toting, angry, pitbull dog". WE DESERVE MORE THAN THAT!!!
VOTE, WOMEN,VOTE.......OBAMA-BIDEN 2008

[Oomingmak]

Thank you, Eve. A Palin presidency, which is what we would essentially get one way or another (if McCain is already afraid to appear in public rallies without her -- knowing that she is more popular than he is -- where do you think the real power in his administration will lie?) is something we may not be able to recover from. I'm not generally one to hyperbolize, but I think the Republic may be at stake here.

Ladies, we need your help.

[freebeer]

Sorry to barge in with this inconvenient truth here.
But another woman right now as we speak is attempting to introduce legislation to increase offshore oil drilling.

Her name is not Sarah, and she has a (D) instead of an (R) after her name. Do we still care?
But I fear more censorship if I dare insult this Queen by speaking truth against this huffpost darling.

Nancy Pelosi is at it again.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/13/AR2008091302428.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090802134.html
But shhhh! We're not supposed to know about this, especially since Obama is in favor.

Maybe if we really want to celebrate women who actually "legislates" the way she talks, we should look at Cynthia McKinney.

[JulieSA]

"She has her own custom Austrian hunting rifle. She has been known to kill 40 caribou at a clip. She has shot hundreds of wolves from the air."

This is false. It's a from a joke site of fake Palin quotes:

http://unbearablebobness.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/08/governor-sarah-palin-quotes.html

Please be more careful about where you get your information. Here's a tip--if you got it in a viral email, it's not true.

[kozy]

Eve, everyone is picking on Sarah when she is simply trying to return sanity to the U.S. Women in the U.S. actually want the government controlling their sexuality and men controlling their daily lives. That's a fact that Sarah just simply KNOWS. Its the liberal news that lies and tells women other things and stirs up trouble. Look at how happy Muslim women are. American women could be just as happy if only Sarah could become Vice prez (and then maybe even make PREZ!) And how about that loony science stuff -- its a conspracy by evil beings to take control of everything. Have you actually ever seen an atom or a germ? Sarah hasn't either. You know why? Because they don't exist. Also, polar bears and all other creatures can be re-created overnight just as they were created 8000 years ago if there is a need for them in the Master Plan. So, who cares about wildlife and trees and all -- except we need to save a few moose. Just leave things to Sarah and John McSame.

[vginger]

In reply to Sailfree's posts....all I can think of when I read them is SAY WHAT!!!! HOLY MACARONI.
More than Mcain More than Palin I am concerned about the women who are STILL BACKING THIS DUO even with all that we have seen and heard. I just keep shaking my head...and getting dizzier and dizzierr. This is all so unreasonable...I have stopped looking for answers. Can't wait to see the outcome...kind of like the twilight zone, idn't it? V.

[JulieSA]

"As she said herself of the Iraqi war, "It was a task from God.""

This is false. She was praying for guidance, hoping we were doing the right thing: God's will.

[JulieSA]

"She obviously does not believe in sex education or birth control."

This is false. Read this:

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-sexed6-2008sep06,0,3119305.story

[Soundofthunder]

If Palin's rise is the culmination of feminism then Bush's 8 years in the Oval Office is the culmination of hard work (vs. the fact that his name is George Bush).

She is a chess piece put into motion to fool the voters into giving the party which brought us 9/11, Iraq, a recession and a DEPRESSION another chance to govern, another chance to rape and pillage the last vestiges of a country on the brink of failure.

McCain/Palin are a self-fulfilling prophecy, the prophecy of the End Times made flesh. But not the End Times for everyone. Just the USA.

SOT

[jazzman]

We are seeing reaction formation in action. This is where a person of gender or race is filled with so much inner self-hatred that they become even bigger enemies of their own gender or race than those of the opposite races. Thus a Clarence Thomas fights against the very same affirmative action that brought him opportunity. In the case of Sarah Palin her hatred for almost all 'feminist' values is extremely apparent. She is more against women controlling their lives than most men are. She demonstrates a hostility towards animals that outdoes most male hunters. She is more vindictive then the most mean spirited male executive. In other words she is the anti-female female. This is why it is so dangerous to vote for or against someone because of their outer coating. Palin is like a trojan horse. Yes she has two x chromosomes but inside is a person that works against everything that women have been striving for save her own power; which to her is a male type power with which she identifies.

[SailFree]

Don't a fair proportion of women struggle toward having a family, raising children, having a good marriage, gaining appropriate power in the workplace, being promoted? What's wrong with this picture is that feminists of the old-fashioned Marxist stripe do not want NORMAL women to function this way. They prefer chanting crazy mantras about fish and bicycles.