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
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She should work a little harder to understand people not just like her.
If Community organizers made six figure salaries, they would be worshiped and idolized by people like Palin.
It wasn't only Sarah Palin. This was mocked by Rudy Giuliani as well. A convention FULL of republicans and those who support the party laughing histerically and looking down on community organizers are pathetic and out of touch with those in the world that not only make a difference but need help the most. Nice.
Community organizers are a need because of the "failures" of politician
It's because she failed.
After all the liberal garbage that's been spewed by the left about her she OWES NO ONE ANYTHING! If you can't stand having it thrown back in your face then hold your tongue with the insults. You're side started questioning her vastly superior experience as the number 2 position on the ticket as compared to your #1. You insulted her experience as a Mayor and governor. You've insulted her family to include her minor children who are irrelevant to the election. If you don't want it thrown back in your face then hold your tongue!
Hold on there partner, Palin was the one that made this an issue by publicly releasing the information about her daughters pregnancy to the news media. I do think it's irrelevant to the election. I think that she is the one that's exploiting this, as a backdrop to tout her "Republican Family Values."
"Oh, look at me, I didn't get an abortion because I value all life. Oh, look at me. My daughter is having a baby out of wedlock. She is not getting an abortion because I taught her the value of life (but not contraception, and not apparently abstinence). "
At least Bush tried to keep his kids out of politics. Palin is exploiting them for her own gain. It's shameless!
Bad mayor, worse governor.
The same statement goes both ways. Your so called liberals (some of them would like to be referred to as progressives) owe no apologies as well after the countless attacks on their characters, their ability to lead, and their minor children (remember the Chelsea Clinton when she was 13?) by conservatives. Besides this is part of the game of politics (which is usually the Republican response).
Palin's insult of community organizers was simply a way to blatantly insult low-income people, who the Republican Party detests. It was a veiled attack on "welfare". When Obama addresses welfare, he praises the inherent virtues of work, and pledges to move people from dependency to productivity; when Palin addresses welfare, she spews hatred on people who are poor. That, right there, is the difference between Democrats and Republicans.
After years of observing and discussing with lots of friends, it seems to me that this demonstrates one of those fundamental differences between the parties.
The hard-core right wing can say "Those people don't matter", and "those people" can be ANYONE at all. Sad to say, that behavior has spread through the Republican party like a plague, slowly and surely, to the point where there is so much disagreement in the historical principles and the actual behavior it's astounding.
Charity? Naa.. those people don't matter.
Community Organizers? Help them? Naaa.. Those people don't matter.
What is amazing to me, is that there are a lot of people who don't realize that even though they might show support for the McCain/Bush program, they are themselves just 1 step from being "kicked out of the tent."
Get sick - lose your insurance? Sorry, you aren't one of us anymore. You don't matter.
Lost your job due to it being sent overseas? Sorry, you aren't one of us anymore. You don't matter.
House foreclosed on? Sorry, you aren't one of us anymore. You don't matter.
Wounded combat veteran? Sorry, you aren't one of us anymore. You don't matter.
Minority ethnic background? Sorry, you never were one of us! You don't matter.
Community Organizer? You don't matter.
Live outside the good ol' BY GOD USA?? Sorry, you aren't one of us. You don't matter.
Community organizers are anathema to Republicans because they empower communities to demand services from Republican administrations that they often campaign on but have no intention of providing. Republicans are not out to improve government; they are out to disassemble it.
This from the people who devoted a full day of the Republican National Convention to community service. As John Stewart so ably pointed out, the "Service" placards they were all waving were actually a demand that the wait staff serve them more quickly.
I dont think she is the apologizing kind.
What it boils down to is GOP versus the people, do as I say not as I do!
The twisted and misdirected talent of Karl Rove is he has learned to attack people, not on their weaknesses, but their strengths. So. . .if you can try to wrap your brain around this attack on Obama as community organizer as actually a back-hand compliment . . . Is your brain hurting yet? I know, I know. But, you can see where their own political inadequacies and emptiness lie. And, isn't it the height of hypocrisy to spit at Obama's community service, and hold up signs at their convention reading "Service"? They are such idiots.
The more insults that Palin says - the more votes Obama will get.
O and Joe '08
When the Sojourners speak out, watch your wallets and your freedom. They are as anti-American as they come. They worship at the altar of Socialism. When one says white, think black. If they say black, think white.
Semper fi
You can tell an ignorant woman when she opens her mouth. To call yourself and other women a "pit bull with lipstick" is like calling women the name we detest most; female dogs, aka: b******. Just sit back Obama, let her keep talking. She and McBush have two things in "common"; IGNORANCE AND SENIOR MOMENTS. She has turned many women off; the only ones that laugh are the far right wingers. There is no fool like an old fool.
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