Palin Owes Some Good People An Apology

Wednesday morning, I got an e-mail from a former member of our Sojourners Community. His name is Perry Perkins and he is now a community organizer in Louisiana with affiliates of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF). “Perk,” as we used to call him, reported on the enormous consequences of 2 million people being evacuated because of Hurricane Gustav, much of the state now being without power, how hard cities like Baton Rouge were hit, the tens of thousands of people in shelters and churches, and the continuing problems caused by heavy rains and flooding. Then he talked about how their community organizers were responding to it all of this; responding to hundreds of service calls, assisting local officials in evacuation plans, aiding evacuees without transportation, coordinating shelters and opening new ones, providing food, essential services, and financial aid to those in most need. Since Katrina, Perry’s Louisiana Interfaith organizations have played a lead role in securing millions of dollars to help thousands of families return to New Orleans and rebuild their homes and their lives.

Then Wednesday night, I heard Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, say that her experience as “a small town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.” The convention crowd in St. Paul thought that was very funny. But it wasn’t. It was actually quite insulting to the army of community organizers who work in the most challenging places across the country and have such a tremendous impact on the every day lives of millions of people. I guess Sarah Palin and her fellow Republican delegates don’t know much about that. The “actual responsibilities” of community organizers literally provide the practical support, collective strength, and hope for a better future that low-income families need to survive,

Community organizers are now most focused in the faith community, working with tens of thousands of pastors and laypeople in thousands of congregations around the country. Faith-based organizing is the critical factor in many low-income communities in the country’s poorest urban and rural areas, and church leaders are often the biggest supporters of community organizers. And many of them felt deeply offended by Sarah Palin. Here are a few of their responses:

“As a life-long Republican, the comments I heard last night about community organizing crossed the line.  It is one thing to question someone’s experience, another to demean the work of millions of hard working Americans who take time to get involved in their communities.  When people come together in my church hall to improve our community, they’re building the Kingdom of God in San Diego.   We see the fruits of community organizing in safer streets, new parks, and new affordable housing.  It’s the spirit of democracy for people to have a say and we need more of it,” said Bishop Roy Dixon, prelate of the Southern California 4th ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, member of the San Diego Organizing Project and former board chair of PICO National Network.  

They have also pointed out how the most important victories for social justice have come more from community organizers than elected officials.

"We can thank community organizing for the weekend, the 8 hour day, integrated swimming pools, public transportation, health care for children and safe neighborhoods.  Community organizing is behind most of the family-oriented initiatives we benefit from every day.  I am proud to work for change in my country, my state, and my city as a community organizer, following the great traditions of Dr. Martin Luther King," said Laura Barrett, National Policy Director of Gamaliel/Transportation Equity Network (TEN).

And when you put the accomplishments of politicians alongside those of community organizers for poor families it isn’t even close. And without the pressure from community organizers and the movements they lead, there would often be nobody to hold politicians accountable.

 “Politicians should thank community organizers, not insult them. As a longtime organizer, I’ve seen time and time again that we are the ones who make government work for the poor, the powerless and the marginalized.  Politicians’ policies and promises would amount to nothing without grassroots activists to hold them accountable. We are leaders of faith and stewards of democracy. In a time when the face of faith in politics is often ugly, community organizing is a valuable example faith’s positive role in public life,” said Pastor Mark Diemer, senior pastor of Grace of God Lutheran Church in Columbus, Ohio and a DART community organizer.

Palin’s effort to attack the experience of Barack Obama, a former community organizer in Chicago, turned into a bad joke and an insult. Sarah Palin owes a lot of good people an apology.

Jim Wallis is the author of The Great Awakening, Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners and blogs at www.godspolitics.com.

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Comments

[isadora]

...and while chanting "Drill, drill, drill." It makes me ill, ill, ill to see people who care and are committed to daily grueling and emotionally draining work for the benefit of others who are dealing with job losses and want only to be able to support and care for their own mocked in such a shallow manner.. So who is it that has "family values"? And who are the PTL PLT gang (stands for People That Love People Like Them)?

[derik]

Jim, however much I may disagree with some of your belief systems. This Palin is someone that I do hope with your belief systems and alliances, you can bring her into the great wide open. In my opinion, she is a pathetic excuse for all that is good in the progressive evangelical movement. Thanks for your courage. She is a tough one to expose the snake oil she pushes.

[jqcitizen]

Sarah Palin would still be a former mayor of Wasilla rather than Governor of Alaska if it were not for the fact that she took on a sitting Governor and previous US Senator, Frank Murkowski.

If she thinks community organizers didn't help her get to Juneau she is as delusional as old 'Frank' himself. -He decided the most qualified person in the state to replace him as US Senator, is his daughter Lisa. His original reason for retiring from the Senate was 'To spend more time with my family" and then sends Lisa off to DC while he settles down in Juneau where Lisa was in the State Legislature.

Palin got a lot of support from voters to 'Dump' Frank and she had best not forget many were community organizers from villages much smaller than Wasilla.

[Durango]

Brought to you by the same people who thought Purple Heart bandaids mocking John Kerry's combat service were hysterically funny.

[rpence]

Sarah Palin has indeed fired up "the base." The base of progressive activists and the people they help, that is. Community organizers now have another responsibility, among many others--organizing people to register and vote for Obama-Biden. I'm sure it's a responsibility they'll embrace.

Thank you, John McCain!!

[UrsaMajority]

I don't get why the Obama campaign hasn't jumped on the irony of this attack from Palin during this week. Community organizers help during hurricanes. During Alaska's few "disasters" while she's been there -- a couple of floods I think -- all deployment decisions regarding the Alaska National Guard were made by one of Palin's aides.

[clr2]

“a small town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibi­lities.”

There is nothing untrue about what she said. As a mayor you have many responsibilities that are spelled out. As a community organizer you usually take on responsibilites; however you can pick and choose because you are a volunteer.
Get over it. She was right on. A mayor is mandated to have certain responsibilites and a community organizer can do as much or as little as they want.
She never said community organizers weren't good people or that they didn't have good intentions. You guys are nit picking. Move on.

[HBeachbum]

As soon as you lefties apologize to all the small town mayors that you have mocked, then Sarah will apologize to the community organizers.

[gusdad]

Wouldn't it be interesting to go to Chicago and find someone who Barack Obama actually helped while he was a community organizer. He says he helped laid off steelworkers find jobs. Lets locate some of these people. Then we can find out how much money the federal, state, and local government chipped in with tax money to pay young Barack to find those jobs. My guess is we will be upside down, if such a person even exists.
It's kind of like his wife making $300,000 a year at a hospital: and she's not even a doctor???
No wonder healthcare is so expensive.

[Goldie999]

I guess the Republicans forgot all those "community organizers" who helped out after 9/11.

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

Gosh I see some of these community organizers are republicans also with a lot of faith. I think that is great because they like a lot of people are following jesus. Now why question to these true christains why are they republicans. Those republicans faith are the almighty dollar. They don't care about the poor people. Did you take notice of how they laughed at Palin and Rudy's joke? I surely didn't think it was funny. All it showed me is that Palin is the new Cheney only with lipstick and the party hasn't changed. McCain can really make the speech of a life time by saying I will put my hand across to the other side for cooperation and than allows the guest speakers to get really nasty does not show anything but more of the same. Yes Bush/McCain and Palin/Cheney not difference.

McCAIN-PALIN BRIDGE TO NOWHERE

[OldPete]

New idea for an Obama ad:

Title: I am a Community Organizer

A few seconds each of a series of real community organizers' speaking directly into the camera saying "I am a community organizer.­..", then they lay out their organization and who they help. Emphasis on those who organize for special needs children, children with health problems, those who help meth addicts (big problem in rural areas and in Wasilla, AK), those who help the elderly. Rural organizers as well as city organizers. Many organizers are volunteers with church groups. Emphasize that, too.

At the end of the commercial many of these real organizers look directly at the camera and say, "So, Governor Palin, THAT is what a community organizer does" Address the Governor directly. Hit back! Tell Sarah straight to her face. Say, "I'm proud to be a community organizer and work with my community"

Hit back at the perceived "strength" (Karl Rove said that hitting at your opponent's weakness didn't work. If you want to destroy them go after their strengths). Governor Palin has taken this hateful comment onto her stump speech and continues to get laugh lines. It plays very well. Hit back. Tell Sarah Palin what a community organizer does.

Post your video on youtube.

[barkanomics]

I think your ad would be terrific!

[Jani]

FANTASTIC IDEA! I am posting on Obama's facebook and website...­hope they credit you!

[yukonark]

Thanks, Jim. I was absolutely insulted by the governor of my state, Alaska, speak so vindictively about those whose lives have been spent their lives improving our communities and holding them together. Palin has cut service programs across the board in Alaska; programs that DIRECTLY impact education, child health care, programs for children with special needs, and programs for troubled teens and unwed mothers - this in a state literally rolling in money. It is breathtaking how the irony of this doesn't impact her or her supporters. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I donated my entire Alaska Energy Rebate, championed by Palin, to the Obama campaign.

[RogerTheShrubber]

I suppose George H.W. Bush was high when he spoke of seeing six million (or whatever number) "points of light" in the American public. lol So much for not insulting grandpa Bush about his crazy notion about community work and a charitable public!

Mr. Wallis, thanks for this commentary. I hope you are shouting it loudly among your fellows in the religious community -- especially those to your right who support the GOP and its faux-populist rhetoric.

[TheAlchemist]

Jesus is a community organizer.

[iowafalcon]

Jesus was not a community organizer, He is God. He had a teaching ministry that was in no way subversive to the government. He tought against the concepts of religion, tax evasion, materialism, and even subversion to the goverment. The liberal worldview of laying claim to other's wealth is nowhere to be found in his teachings. He did not teach people in any way to group themselves together to get more power to demand things. He did teach about the importance of personally helping the poor (as in giving of the resources he entrusted you personally with), and personally serving others.

[hellinabucket]

Those same smug snarky unthinking people jeering at "Community Organizer" don't realize that they are also jeering & mocking their Jesus!

[UnbiasView]

Are you comparing Obama (working ACORN the voter fraud group) to Jesus?

[eshalom]

hellinabucket,

I agree that community organizers deserve respect. On the other hand, the left went over the top in their smug ridicule and put downs of small towns and their governing bodies. Sarah Palin was just counter punching, but then that's not allowed when you're in the ring with Barack Obama. He and his netroots surrogates are free to launch all out sexist, demeaning attacks against any threatening woman such as Hillary Clinton or Sarah Palin, but any criticism of the One is off limits.

[Diana]

When did the left "smugly ridicule and put down small towns"? Be specific!

You can't counter the truth with a lie, much as you might try.

[dsbsh]

Can you point to any specifics? Didn't think so. "The left" didn't go anywhere near the top on Palin. It is perfectly legitimate to question the experience of a small-town mayor who could be a heartbeat away from the presidency. I agree it should be done in a professional and respectful manner... but much of what we heard about it came from your own side, and from the media, whom no one in their right mind still thinks is "liberal." And the Obama campaign has actually been widely criticized for not being aggressive enough with Palin.