"She’s a mom!" is probably the one thing you most definitely know about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. It is a sizeable part of her appeal ("What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull? Lipstick"). With Facebook groups, blog posts, and whole organizations in support of her, she’s the greatest thing to come to the ’08 elections – according to her fans - since, oh, Senator Hillary Clinton; despite the fact that all of the other candidates are parents as well. Recently, however, Governor Palin has managed to disgruntle some would-be fans.
Who Exactly is Disgruntled?
MomsRising.org was started in May of '06 with the goal of building a "more family friendly America". They have over 140,000 members and counting, and currently, they have their sights set on the 2008 Presidential election. In an e-mail sent out by the organization, Moms Rising states that on Wednesday, Sept. 24th, the group attempted to hand deliver a letter to Governor Palin, but was turned down outright and told to please drop the letter in the mail. The letter addressed the issues such as paid sick leave when a parent or their child becomes ill, affordable childcare, and even fair and equal pay for women. It was signed by thousands of MR's members, and to have it turned down and treated as such by the possible next Vice President is disheartening.
However, the group isn't giving up without a fight. In the same e-mail that went around talking about the incident, MR is also asking members to send an e-mail to PBS Correspondent Gwen Ifill - who is set to moderate the VP debate - with a list of questions. This way, they can get their queries through to Palin, and even get Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Senator Joe Biden's take on the issues as well.
Is Being A Mom A Reason to Vote for Her?
Is race a reason to vote for someone? Is gender? Is religion? While classically viewed as mostly the mother's job, raising a child, simply put, is a two person job. The father plays a big part in a child's life, lest we forget that Senators Obama, McCain, and Biden are all proud parents. Besides, where was Senator Hillary Clinton's "She's a Mom!" Facebook groups?
It is illegal in an interview to ask a prospective employee about their race, religion, sex, marital status, and a whole list of other things. So should the public, as Americans essentially hiring someone on as their leader, base their vote on things such as those? If there is a Separation of Church and State, then is it not just a little bit absurd to even consider voting on someone based on what religious institution they attend? Likewise, does the singular issue of having a child enough reason to deem you worthy of ruling a country?
Basically, the decision on which candidate to vote for must be determined by the issues - and issues as in more than one. A vote shouldn't go to Obama simply because he is African American, nor should voting for Palin just because she is a female and/or a mother. They are irrelevant to the bigger issues facing America today such as the crumbling economy, the healthcare crisis, and the war in Iraq. After all, changing a diaper is nothing compared to changing a nation.
