John McCain on The View

John McCain was on the View yesterday. I didn't get to catch the episode, but read and watched some of it on their website. I was surprised by many of the comments on the boards saying they thought the View cast was too harsh on him and calling for boycotts, etc. Lots of defending of Palin. Here's my posted comment:

"I for one am thankful to hear women questioning McCain and Palin. In response to some of the comments here - I served 12 years in the armed forces. I have some college but no degree. I personally am in utter disbelief that Palin is the VP candidate. This goes way beyond Roe v Wade folks. We're talking possible leader of the greatest country on this planet imho. The person who represents us and goes head to head with brilliant world leaders working to gain advantage over us. I'm sorry. While I think she may be a nice person, she is no match for the people she will be working with and against. This isn't a movie where the neighbor next door who could barely finish school but is spunky becomes President and it's all hunky dory. And as a woman, I did not prefer Hillary Clinton for president. But I recognize she is extremely bright, educated, and experienced, and comes from humble beginnings. To think Palin can just step in as another woman in her stead is insulting really. Ask yourself this if you are an average Jane/Joe. If you were given the nuclear codes and told to make a decision quickly whether or not to bomb some country, under pressure, do you feel you are qualified to answer that question? If not, why is Palin in your mind qualified to do it? This isn't a petty game of 'stop picking on her' folks. I recently watched a video with her and her pastor discussing the 'end times' and how everyone will flock to Alaska during those times and they must be ready. This is who you want to control our nukes?"

We've been painting our front porch and trim lately which allows the mind to daydream quite a bit. I was thinking of how many of the Middle East countries were once some of the most advanced societies in time. Women were treated with respect and advanced in their educations. Nowadays, they can be burned with acid if they show too much wrist. While some of this has been thrust upon them by religious extremists, so too have some of the women been complicit. By accepting a burqa and espousing the rules of a 'good woman' and how she should behave, they have made it easier for the minority-held view that women should now be treated as property.

I believe we are undergoing such transformations in our own society. When women support a ticket like McCain/Palin, they are accepting their burqas with pride. When they think it is acceptable to have a 'hot' (word used by the Republicans to describe Palin) woman selected as VP versus an educated, bright and experienced woman, they say women can be judged on their look rather than content. When they accept candidates who think a woman should not have control over their own bodies, even after violence has been committed upon them, they say the good little woman can suffer for those around them. When they don't immediately balk at someone who considers book banning, the limiting of our rights to think, know, and speak, how can they say they support America?

A neighbor recently sent out the Gloria Steinem article regarding Palin. She prefaced the email with an apology for being political. I understand why she did it, but I responded to her that those of us who care about this country should never apologize for discussing who runs this country and how to make things better.

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