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

[Owlygirl]

Thank you for writing this Eve. I tried to write something in response to this article, but I can't even pull my thoughts together because I'm so angry. I can't believe how so many women are throwing themselves at Palin's moose bloodstained feet. She's become an instant heroine simply for looking presentable and reading prepared speeches. Are you kidding me?! It's too much for a sound person to process.

[lotuslike]

Thank you, Eve Ensler, for your brilliant post. You captured the sentiments of my family, my friends and myself. The choice of P@lin as a VP pick was absolutely cynical and is ultimately dangerous for our country and planet, should she and mccain somehow get to the White House.

Thank you for speaking so clearly, so truthfully. Thank you...

[lavisiter]

I don't care if you vote for her! But are you REALLY going to burn another woman at the stake without the trial? This is what you call Feminism?

On Sarah Palin hunting MOOSE........ How many of YOU eat COWS, CHICKENS, LAMB, PIG, FISH and other animals? The ONLY differance between Sarah Palin and you is that YOU have professionals go out and do the KILLING for you! Period! Not to mention that Alaska is intimately intertwined with it's native culture who still hunts while respecting and honoring the animals life!

Her ACTIONS not TALK: ON "same-sex" partner benefits! She complied with the law "despite her disagreement" with it.

Some Civil Rights and other issues

Recognize the vital role of family child care homes.
Comply with same-sex partner benefits despite disagreement.
Recognize Martin Luther King holiday.
HIV/AIDS among Alaska Natives is public health crisis.
Recognize Juneteenth to celebrate the end of slavery.
ADA brings expanded freedom to Americans with disabilities.
Safe Haven bill: allow surrendering newborns without penalty.
Collect DNA samples from felons.
Gang members on probation must wear electronic monitors.
Victims' rights are critical to "justice for all".
Register sex offenders; & investigate internet sex crimes.
Reduced general fund spending by $124 million.
$7 billion savings plan for education & transportation.
Energy relief plan: $100 per person monthly, for oil & gas.
Agrees with Obama on more Alaska oil & gas production.

Source www.ontheissues.org

[lotuslike]

Burn her at the stake??? Have you totally lost your mind along with your critical thinking skills? Get real...just because Palin has a v@gina doesn't mean that she is aligned with the best interests of women or feminist principles.

All of your posts in support of this woman bear out your blind allegiance to P@lin's plumbing. She's against pay equity for women, she's against choice even in cases of rape and incest, she reduced assistance to families of special needs children by 62%, she believes you can 'pray away the gay' and doesn't believe in legal rights for partners in same sex relationships...the list goes on and on. She's actually even more extreme than McC@in.

Her positions and policies are about as non-feminist and even misogynistic as they get. Heck, Phyllis Schlafly is still out there...why not support a run for her, too, while you're at it? But stop lashing out at women for questioning the wisdom of voting against our best interests with support of this anti-woman person. She is a radical extremist and her policies for us---and the world---are very destructive.

[lavisiter]

As for the "vagina and lack of critical thinking" I think you have me mixed up with Eve Ensler! Maybe you're close friends - just trying to protect her - like "Mother Earth," or something! But I will say this - it is just your kind of attitude, the self-will, the radical - over the top emotionalism and oppression of "other" women - that is causing (tonight I heard on ABC) 20% more of the women's vote to move to the McCain/Palin ticket! I'd think you ought to look in the mirror and do the only thing you have the power to do - and that's censoring yourself!

[snarkopolitan]

It's a little more than hunting moose. I eat meat, and I don't shoot it, true. As far as I'm concerned, you shoot it, you eat it, great!
But Governor Palin favors aerial hunting of wolves. She had the state offer a bounty of $150 for wolves' left forelegs: you shoot the wolf, saw off the leg, and bring it in to collect your money. There is a lot of discussion among hunters over whether this is just too brutal.

Here is Governor Palin on hunting caribou, from an interview done by the Anchorage Daily News in 2006:
Now, as to the ANWR, Todd and I often enjoying caribou hunting and one year we shot up a herd big time, I mean I personally slaughtered around 40 of them with my new, at the time, custom Austrian hunting rifle. And guess what? That caribou herd is still around and even bigger than
ever. Caribou herds actually need culling, be it by rifles or wolves, or Exxon-Mobil oil rigs, they do just great!

[imfedup]

I eat meat, but I could not look it in the eye and "slaughter" it. Her bloodlust is just one more reason to be scared sh*tless of her.

[Lyonors]

Here is my problem with your celebration of the Moose Princess of Alaska.

You actually want her applauded for doing what her constituents want? You actually think she should be celebrated for complying with same-sex parntner benefits even though she disagrees with it personally....that is quite possibly the most inane thing I have heard all week. And what, does she deserve a medal for recognizing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, and Juneteenth? To me, that implys that she considered NOT recognizing them at all. And that says so much more than anything else you could have typed.

You want change? Try a candidate that isn't running with Bush Jr.

[Donald Wolberg]

The recent slump in the Obama/Biden ticket is mirrored by the amazing "surge" in the McCain/Palin ticket. Unfortunately howling at the Moon or purveying "unusual" critiques of Ms palin will not be effective--the Jim Croce song Junk Yard Dog comes to mind: "you don't rip the mask off the old Lone Ranger." Ms Ensler's compendium of real or imagined "flaws" of Ms Palin ring hollow and really are pointless. Ms Palin is not opposed to teaching evolution (one wonders if Ms Ensler really knows anything about evolution), and so what if she is a creationist or Intelligent design person--one suspects most Christian Democrats are. There are no shortages of Polar Bears--populations have actually increased, and besides, what does this have to do with the campaign--Ms Palin likes Polar Bears. Ms Palin wants to drill for more oil--so do 70% of all Americans, most Democrats. The Obama/Biden ticket is losing because Mr. Obama has lost his way, his voice and fewer people are listening. Mr. Obama needs to rekindle the spark of his campaign--the rants about Ms Palin take away attention from Mr. Obama and shine on McCain/Palin, a sure formula for defeat.

[OdaNobunaga]

"There are no shortages of Polar Bears--populations have actually increased, and besides, what does this have to do with the campaign--Ms Palin likes Polar Bears."

WTF are you smoking!? They're going extinct! Their entire environment is collapsing beneath them! Show me a single, legitimate article or scientific journal where it says polar bear populations are on the rise. (Newscorp and its subsidiaries don't count, due to the legitimate qualifier.)

Secondly, Mrs.(she is married, after all) Palin only likes polar bears as decorations.

[Donald Wolberg]

One doubts whether you would be able to read a scientific journal, but faking it may be OK. Both the Canadian and U.S. wildlife folks indicate a count substantially increased and in excess of 65,000 for Ursus maritimus (that's the Polar Bear), and similar increases in Ursus arctos in parts of its range you can figure out which bear that is). I suspect that you have been hanging out with the Roswell aluminum foil cap folks.

[lavisiter]

Dear Sister Eve,

I hear your concerns but some of your points have NOW been researched & found to NOT BE TRUE about Palin! ( libraries for one) And as yours I hear many voices with a similar brand of "Fundamentalism" - a "black and white" thinking and while perhaps non-religious - let's face it: fundamentalism has its roots in the same dogmatic religious history.

As an educator of violence against women, $40 million in your non-profit and huge accomplishments many were utterly stunned by YOUR SILENCE during the primary as everyone watched Hillary Rodham Clinton get bludgeoned with the same kind of "male and male internalized" psychological sexist and misogynist violence that accounts for WHY 1 in 3 girls/women CONTINUE to be victims of violence in this country!! You want your sisters vote? MANY of your sisters across this nation - witness to these unrelenting horrors have experienced severe yet often undiagnosed "post traumatic stress!" I can hear the laughing now. Oui? Now these women being pushed and shoved to "just get over it," & "stop whining?" OH, YOU BET! Sarah Palin's speech turned a lot of heads - CATHARTIC! Human nature, comprend?

Partisan politics? Because there was silence with many feminist women emersed in the fundamentalist Obama "RAPTURE." I read your HP! You REALLY had no use for your sister, HRC! So, I can't help but wonder. Was it the "pants?"

[Ironfox]

Twisted, illogical, and irrational and you want to be trusted with power>

[Pegi]

Eve - your article touched my heart and my feelings exactly!! I am almost 60 years old and remember well the marches, bra burnings and all that stuff we did in the 60s and early 70s for women's rights; the struggles were real!!! This woman represents NONE of that. How insulting that the McPow campaign could throw a woman on the ticket thinking they are going to get women like myself to vote for them!! What an insult to my and a whole generation of women's intelligence. The sad part about this is it is working in some states. The women are going crazy for her and McPow is now tied or ahead of our candidate - I cannot believe the gullibility and stupidity of these women - I just cannot wrap my brain around it!!! I wish your word could be heard on every network every nite!!! Thank you for sharing.

Obama/Biden 08

[Old-Surveyor]

Is this sexist? In addition to all the qulifications she has to be Vice President and Become President should, God forbid, something unforeseen happen to President Mc Cain, she is also a person that I would want to get my back in a jam. Also SHE is a hottie!

[snarkopolitan]

Half of the people whose backs she got found knives slid into them. See Lyda Green, the cancer survivor who Governor Palin laughed at on the radio. The talk-show host called Green "a bitch" and "a cancer" and Governor Palin laughed. Oh yes, a proud moment for women!

[MWard46]

If the GOP convention foreshadows the administration that would be McCain- Palin then the undulating flag on that enormouse screen that showed red and white but no blue may be symbolic of what is to come. I know little about what these two candidates will get involved with. The only thing the GOP convention confirmed is that, if elected, John McCain and Sarah Palin will put country first by spending most of their time being drillmasters of soldiers and oil.

[SeaBlood]

The presence of Sarah Palin on McCain's ticket has got to be the most cynical, anti-feminist gesture possible. The GOP thinks that women will vote for the candidate that has a vagina regardless of her positions on right wing issues. If the GOP's actually get elected, it will be a bleak day for women everywhere. Feminism will be a wounded entity.

[fedupfemale]

This is by far the BEST piece I've seen on Palin so far. Palin is the kind of woman who would have thrown rotten eggs at suffragettes and turned the garden hose and the dogs on "libbers" in the 60s. To see her aspire to the office of Vice President on the backs of women she would have despised is heartbreaking for me.

[imfedup]

Yep. She would have called them "haters."

[boo127tx]

Anyone aware that palin thinks it's a wonderful experience to shoot game from a helicoter.

Why don't they just throw dynomite at the whole herd???????????

[lavisiter]

Ever see video's on how chickens, cows, sheep are treated in this country before YOU have someone else go out and KILL, you then drag home and prepare and put on your dinner table every night? Hypocracy!

And that "viral" interenet story about the caribou is NOT TRUE!

[imfedup]

The blogger posts a citation of the Anchorage Daily News in 2006. Anyone have that story in link form for lavisiter. BTW, it's visitor.

[jbwhite]

In polls today, white women were supposedly the reason why John McSame is now ahead in the polls. I don't understand women who would vote for him just because he selected a woman running mate. I thought we were smarter than that!

As a Christian, I am embarrassed by Sarah Palin's brand of "so-called Christianity." It is not true to the gentleness and love shown by Jesus Christ. I continue to struggle with the issue of abortion, but believe profoundly that it not up to the Government to decide what is best in any given situation.

I also don't think we should trust any woman who thinks its okay to kill, which she apparently does regularly in Alaska. I believe we should banish the NRA and everything it stands for.

Sarah Palin has prostituted herself for the Republican party. She is the same lower form of life that we have in the White House right now and that continues to dominate the Republican party. John McCain did a huge disservice to his country to select such a running mate that is clearly "out-there.

It's a dilemma that voters are so quick to believe lies. We have to figure out a way to get Eve's message out -- she said it perfectly.

[scooterfive]

Jesus was not the most gentle of men. Besides the obvious Temple scene, he constantly verbally attacked the religious leaders of his time. The reason he did this was because they were distorting his Truth. As a Christian, the issue of abortion is a simple one - God creates every human being, and we have to ensure that they have a chance to live. As far as killing - God called for His only Son to be killed. God called for Joshua to kill all the people in Canaan. God called for the destruction of entire cities. God required sacrifices as part of the Old Covenant. Sarah Palin is more closely related to most Americans than any candidate "out there"

[imfedup]

Ghandi and MLK also verbally attacked the leaders of their time. The fact is, he believed in peaceful resistance. The money changers story is the only one that exhibits any physicality on his part.

[bruja]

Eve, Thanks for a great article. I said that McCain scared me , well, McCain/Palin is beyond scary. I am a RN, born and raised Catholic (no longer practice any religion, tolerant of all good people), Supported Roe v Wade and don't want abortion to be illegal. All women should be able to control their own bodies. If a woman does not want to abort, she doesn't have to. Palin is so out of touch with rational science that I can't believe she is college educated. She is a book banner, anti-wildlife and anti-women. How could anyone vote for these two people?

[freetobe]

Said so well Eve, Thanks! I am so depressed today after all of of this republican crap. I no longer believe we live in a democratic society. The media is censored on what they can say (the demoting of Chris Matthews and Keith Olberman) for basically saying what they believe in their hearts. The non- presence of color, creed, or religion in the republican convention. We should plan a revolt of some kind if this happens. If nothing happens, We are going to be leaving this god-forsaken country and move to the democratic society of Costa Rica.

[lavisiter]

Thanks so much for a story that she didn't even research to see if the FACTS were true? As a woman who has been a victim of violence myself - I completely understand her "over emotional reaction" rooted in some truth about about rape rape rape and drill, drill, drill. But to spread FALSE information about the historical nomination of a woman - ONLY because she wants Barack Obama to be elected is highly questionable!

SOME TRUE INTELLIGENCE:
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sliming_palin.html

[jerry6stl]

I think this article grossly misses the point. There are feminists and there are radical feminists, two different sorts. Palin is appealing to middle America women that are more moderate, but still consider themselves feminine - without supporting NOW. There are a lot more non-militant women out there, and they are the ones that will decide this election.

We need those moderate women to vote Democratic, and Gloria Steinem doesn't speak for them, or to them.

[ASM]

Wonderful article! This woman scares the life out of me. She was picked because she is an aggresive witch (spelling problem?) who is so ambitious that she has no compunction about telling lies or playing any role to get ahead. The irony is, her party leaders are the very people who disdain women in any leadership role because they think women are just like her. Sara Palin will set us back 40 years from what we've all worked so hard to achieve. Obama's gift is his leadership to bring out the best in us while Palin appeals to our worst side. Please let our better sides prevail come November.
Alison
Chicago

[lavisiter]

Did you know that using terms like you are using about this woman is what they did during the Inquisition to de-sensitize people? And apparently you do not mind doing it JUST SO YOU CAN GET your canidate elected? If you are scared, I would question what is going on inside of you that you feel so violently towards women who threaten your mental foundation.

[imfedup]

Listen to Fox News for any 5-minute period during any given day and you'll hear worse. Give it up. Alison didn't mean a literal witch.

[charleydan]

I here remarks on here that religion is dangerous.

When religion is taken up by some fanatic that twists it to his endeavours to fit his cause does not represent that the whole is wrong or dangerous. Just like non-religious fanatics that gun down, or kill innocent people represent all aethists as murders. That is just prejudice remarks.

The republican party is made up of liberal, fiscal and reformers. Like Democrats they have alot of variance in between these.

I am a reformer republican. That is I believe in the constitution. Bring the troops home and only use them when attacked. Some think we should use them to defend our allies, also. As far as drugs, sex, drinking and the likes. Individual rights. You do your thing and I may not approve of it, but no laws against it.

Abortion, when does life begin? After that it is murder. Of course some say at birth and others at conception. Let us bring it out in full discussion. And like all issues some exceptions to consider.

You see the Democratic party has Libertarian Democrats which are Reformers also, Reagan Democrats would fit this category. Yes, there is some difference but they all have the same basic ideas. Get out of my life government, individual rights with state sovereignty.

I personally think some of you should read on what a real right conservative is and a Libertarian Democrat or a reformist.