It should come as no surprise that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has been the subject of widespread rumors. She was a total unknown before Republican presidential candidate John McCain tapped her as his running mate. Of course, most of the rumors are untrue.
She has no horns, has not appeared (as far as we know) in a porn flick and has no sex tape, although she may have had an extramarital affair. But a couple of things are true -- and troubling -- about Alaska’s governor, and they go beyond irresponsible parenting that led her unwed, teen daughter to become pregnant.
Religious, Political Extremism
Politically, Palin is a religious fundamentalist whose views on censorship and religion are not only far outside the mainstream, but show no regard for one of our most important rights, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. When our forefathers drafted the Constitution, the realized afterward that it contained no specific provisions safeguarding what they believed to be the unalienable rights of every citizen. Thus, the first ten amendments became known as the Bill of Rights.
It’s no coincidence that the First Amendment safeguards the right to freely practice any religion without government interference, i.e. separation of church and state, and the right to free speech. The founding fathers believed these rights were basic to our democracy and our way of life. They knew from first-hand experience that tyrants maintain power by silencing free and open debate, and use religion to subjugate and persecute individuals.
Censoring Thought and Speech
When any individual is elected to public office, even as mayor of a tiny Alaskan town like Wasilla, they must swear to uphold the Constitution. But Palin attempted to impose her own beliefs, and to censor thoughts and ideas she did not like. When she first became mayor in 1996, she asked the city librarian if she would agree to ban certain library books should she be asked to do so.
But librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, rejected the idea out of hand. Emmons said the books in the Wasilla Library collection were picked on the basis of national selection criteria for libraries of that size, and she said she would resist all efforts to ban books. A few months later, Palin fired the librarian, claiming she did not fully support her.
Emmons had been city librarian for seven years and was well liked. Palin was forced to reverse her decision after a wave of public opposition. Emmons' courageous stance prevented Palin from actually bannng books at the Wasilla library, despite Palin's desire to do so.
In an interview with the local newspaper, Emmons said Palin ask her at least three times about possibly removing objectionable books from the library. During an October 1996 City Council meeting, Palin again raised the issue. Later when questioned by the paper, Palin said her inquiries were just a “policy discussion.” After the meeting, however, Palin fired Emmons, who incidentally, had supported the incumbent mayor.
Anti-Semitism, Apocalyptic Visions
Palin’s religious extremism is another assault on the First Amendment. She justified the Iraq War and the construction of a $30 billion gas pipeline through Alaska as “all part of God's plan.” Her religious fundamentalism is rooted in the Wasilla Assembly of God where the pastor is a fiery apocalyptic extremist, who believes the world is clearly divided between good and evil.
He’s preached that critics of President Bush will be banished to hell; questioned whether people who voted for Sen. John Kerry in 2004 would be accepted in heaven; charged that the 9/11 terrorist attacks and war in Iraq were part of a war "contending for your faith;" and said that Jesus "operated from that position of war mode." What's particuarly scary, the religious sect's fundamentalism is grounded in the Bible's Book of Revelation, which foretells the Apocalypse, that is, the destuction of the world, or "endtimes."
The church takes the book literally and strongly believes the endtimes are very near and will come during our lifetime. As vice president, Palin would influence decisions about the use and deployment of our catastrophic nuclear arsenal. Should she become president, her finger would be on the button. If she cites "God's will" to justify gas pipelines and the Iraq war, she is capable of disregarding any law, if she believes she's answering to a higher authority, or "fulfilling a prophecy."
During her term as mayor and governor, Palin packed government jobs with like-minded people from her church with no regard for their qualifications, according to The New York Times. She would likely want to do the same in Washington.
In fact, Palin's pastor has already said her election as governor was the result of a "prophetic call" by another pastor at the church, who prayed for her victory. "[He made] a prophetic declaration and then unfolds the kingdom of God, you know."
The evil her church sees in Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and other non-Christian religions is also a pillar of teachings at the church she now attends in the state capital. Her new preacher said during a sermon last month (Aug. 17) that Jews' "unbelief" in Jesus was the reason for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The pastor also described terrorist attacks on Israel as God's "judgment of unbelief" for Jews who haven't embraced Christianity.
So far, Palin hasn’t said or done anything to distance herself or denounce these hate-filled rants, nor has she explained her views on supporting and upholding the Constitution.
In a presidential election that is focusing on our terrible economy, the threat of terrorism and other weighty issues, such small town politics may seem inconsequential. But Palin could soon be a heartbeat away from becoming leader of the free world. Her disregard for our fundamental freedoms is far more troubling that whether she’s been photographed in a bikini or had extramarital affairs.
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