I don’t spend a lot of time on this blog on national politics, but I’ve been brooding ever since the Republican Convention over the way Sarah Palin sneered at and mocked community organizing.
There are many other things that bug me about Sarah Palin — including how much mileage she gets from lying about not taking the money for the “bridge to nowhere.” But she pushed a button about community organizing, and I realized it bugged me as a Christian, a veteran, and a librarian.
As a Christian, I know Jesus was a community organizer. It’s hard work — he had a lot of trouble toward the end of his term of service — and it’s the kind of effort measured in agonizing small sips (not in honking big earmarks for projects you will later thrice disavow).
As a veteran, I know what my brothers and sisters are trying to do in Iraq is in many ways community organizing. We can question if they should have been sent there, and we can question whether they should be there now, but I know in my heart that they are putting their everything into their efforts. I am sure she has no clue she’s criticizing the military — but then, let’s face it, Palin hasn’t served in the military. Everyone’s so focused on being careful not to say anything sexist they haven’t pointed out that while Palin was enjoying civilian life some of us broads were actually serving in the armed forces. (No, it doesn’t count that her — male — kid serves.)
As a librarian, today I spent a few hours in a meeting with a lot of library directors present, and I was reminded all over again why I love libraries. It’s really extraordinary how this country supports its libraries. Not always, not as well as we’d like, but to a degree that underscores how much we believe in the power of communities. I also spent today in a gorgeous library that to me represented what democracy is all about: the chance for all of us to gather at the town pump to read, to discuss, and to celebrate our lives as thinking people.
(I won’t even get into her trickster behavior with then-director Emmons, and brava to Emmons for standing her ground back then, and taking the high road now. Been there, done that with the opportunistic censors.)
There’s a lot that gets under my skin right now. Republicans chanting “Drill, baby, drill” — I’m sorry, this is their response to the mess we’re in? Hasn’t T. Boone Pickens, of all people, said we can’t drill our way out of this crisis? I’m also excited about Oback Barama for president. I was sorry to see Hillary lose, but I was conflicted from day 1 and am glad to see Oback on the track to the no-longer-so-White House.
But I worry that McCain has found the perfect one-two punch: a wrinkly old white guy in a cardigan paired with an aggressive conservative… one who has no problem mocking those of us who have spent our lives building communities. So much for “a thousand points of light.”
So if you want to get me to the Obama phone banks this weekend to help get out the vote this November, just remind me how Palin mocked Obama’s community organizing. Because I guess a real job, to her, wouldn’t be at the payscale or prestige level of a community organizer, or a soldier, or a veteran. For all her anti-intellectual “gotta dress me a moose” postering, Palin’s not just a liar and a hypocrite — she’s a snob.
Posted on this day, other years:
- Essay, "Range of Desire," published in Nerve - 2007
- Writing at Five Miles per Hour - 2007
- Speaking of Speaking... - 2006
- Not a Book Story - 2006
- Remembering the Past - 2005
Thank you for this post. It’s good to know that someone else feels the same way that I do, and can express it so well. There was just something about her community organizing statement that was different from the regular mud-slinging. Soldiers, Pastors, Librarians, and so many others can be considered community organizers, and it pains me to think that someone in her position would think otherwise.
PLEASE tell me that button really exists.
I’ll forward this one into the blogosphere…http://sactobookbytes.blogspot.com/
AMEN!!!!
What a great posting! Sarah Palin is not only inexperienced and so far to the right it’s not funny, she’s also a mean bully!!
Michael, thanks! Ben, I got that image as a forward from a pastor we know… if it’s not a bumper sticker/teeshirt/whatever, it should be. Liz, PRE-CISE-LY. Not just the mocking… but the snickering, and the facial expressions. When Al Gore rolled his eyes in 2000, the GOP went beserk.
Thank you, Karen, for putting words to my thoughts. Sarah rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning with her community organizer comment. I resent the implication that democrats are not good Christians or patriotic. I’m both. Obama’s values reflect that in a way I can live with. I cannot live with her intolerance and snobbiness. And as a woman, she doesn’t make me proud, either. I’m sure I would never be friends with her in real life.
I was wondering when “dressing a moose” became an acceptable measure of a person’s ability to lead the nation, or at least to be batter-up to that position. Maybe it’s a Republican euphemism for running the country…
John, it dovetails well with G.W.’s folksy pretensions. New Haven, Andover, Yale, Harvard… gimme a break.
Jesus is the messiah, he did not organize the community, he came to warn the world of God’s wrath. He spoke words about, hell and destruction, he said the world would hate you if you follow me. Read Matt 10:5-40 and tell me how Jesus was a community organizer, seems like he was a divider. He came so that we could have eternal life through Him. The Bible is clear, we are sinners, we are law breakers (10 commandments, God is holy and just and his justice must be served, God LOVES us and sent Jesus as payment for our sin, we must repent, and put our faith and trust in Jesus for our sin to be forgiven.. that is it.
Thanks for writing this. It’s difficult for me to pick out the most disturbing line in Palin’s speech, but this one is right up there!
Thanks, Karen. Great thoughts and great encouragement!
I believe that Matthew 10 and Matthew 28:19 remind us that Jesus was indeed and “in deed” a community organizer: calling disciples, teaching disciples, healing and … teaching others to heal and call others to discipleship, healing and community service. I believe that all community service – whether it be elected official, community organizer, librarian … is vital and helps us all create “beloved community.”
Nicely done, @kgs. Sneering at people who work in and with the community? For shame. It’s how this country was built, and its how our neighborhoods thrive. Maybe they do it differently in Alaska. But I will say that this whole pedestal-worshipping of mediocrity (“I’m just a hockey mom, y’all”) isn’t doing the country any favors when we need someone very intelligent and very in-tune with the public to take the reins.
Karen, I am also a veteran (of the first Gulf War), a spouse of an active duty SM (who just returned from Iraq), a christian, and a stay at home mom, currently overseas for the military. I resent the implication that a democrat cannot be patriotic. And I am disgusted with the nastiness of the republican machine. Sound bites may win elections, but they can’t lead a country.
Amen, amen, amen to all these comments. I recently heard someone from the Kerry campaign comment that they didn’t fight back because they thought the press would do their job. My sense is we have to stand up for what’s right in this election or be hung out to dry once again.
How exactly was Jesus a community organizer. When did he stay in a community long enough to organize it? And when he was hated by the actual community leaders for causing chaos for speaking words that were politically incorrect at the time. And if I recall correctly, he was a carpenter?
Jesus was a clearly community organizer (among many other things), but not in the way that some folks might have expected (or apparently expect nowadays). Indeed, if you look at the Gospels, he spends quite a bit of time talking about his community, and taking some pains to organize it.
He calls his community the Kingdom of God. This kingdom is “not of this world”, as he eventually tells the local governor, but it’s a real community. He invites people to the Kingdom in his preaching. (His Sermon on the Mount and his parables, for instance, have extensive descriptions of what the Kingdom of God is like.)
He delegates much of the organization of this community to his disciples, along parameters that he sets. Early on, he sends them out from town to town to preach the Kingdom, at first only to the Jews, and he gives detailed instructions about how to behave. (See, e.g. Luke 9.) Later on, he gives them more open-ended authority to “build my church” and make disciples of all nations, entrusting them with the keys to the kingdom, and saying he will honor what they bind and loose.
Sometimes he’s more hands-on with the organization. When a crowd of thousands follows him into the desert, he sees them as “sheep without a shepherd”, and not only stops to teach them, but also manages to organize a dinner service for all of them on the spot, starting from just a few loaves of bread and fishes.
So, like many good community organizers, he starts things off himself, but makes it a priority to train new organizers to keep the community viable and growing. And many of his followers are still on the job.
“Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” — Luke 9
Thank you, John, for your wonderful contribution to this discussion. When I turn back to the Gospels, I am again reminded of what Jesus stood (along with his excellent skills in strategic vision and delegation). “To proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal” — this is our job.
You were already a hero of mine, but NOW you REALLY ARE – thank you so much for this post!!!
I want to add – whether everyone can agree that Jesus was a community organizer or not (I agree), he certainly was for CHANGE and I would say went against his “party” – or what was popular and in power at the time 😉
Do not let the Republicans fool you! Palin could very easily be the next president. Think about it McCain odds are against him as far as age and him becoming unwell enough to be able to run our country. Although I wish no harm upon him this could be a very true reality. Then we will have a pitbull with lipstick running our country. Can you imagine this woman sitting across other leaders of the world who are very educated and talking about her “redneck” policies. Honestly here are the major problems in our country in rank
1. Education System – Failing look at the romans when their education system failed it was the end if the civilization.
2. Economy – Direct result of other things
3. War – Waste of money and lives. We are in the wrong country. Still have not found the man behind 9/11.
4. Energy – We need to restore our national resources we are probably one of the most wasteful countries. Almost 99.5% of Americans can do better with controlling waste including me.
We must act now we still have a chance to reverse what has been political term-oil for the last 20 years. Bill did have 8 good years but not good enough we need a change! Americans are tired of it. Palin is certainly not the answer.
Just had some folks over for dinner. We all agreed that there was something about Ms. Palin we didn’t like. Too bad we hadn’t seen this blog!
Wow….so as a Christian how do you justify your vote for Barack Obama? He stands against everything Christ is and his idea of government and it’s role is the opposite of how God ordained it and designed it. And since when did Obama become so “innocent”? He and his campaign set out attacking her the moment they found out she was the pick. You need to look at the context of the speech and the events surrounding it. She was responding to the bullying that Obama’s campaign started and so visciously! Both sides are saying the other is lying and their side is telling the truth. Well, people need to fact check and both sides are guilty of presenting something deceitfully. But Governor Palin was not bullying and choosing random things to comment on. She was responding to Barack Obama, and I’m so glad that she did.
“He stands against everything Christ is and his idea of government and it’s role is the opposite of how God ordained it and designed it.” Jen, that is an indefensible statement… but feel free to explain yourself.
I’ve looked at the context of the speeches. Obama started out TOO nice to Palin, the way Kerry was in 2004. Bullying? Please. She mocked community organizing and then latet sat there in an interview and sounded like an idiot. If you vote for Palin you’re voting for someone who (like our current president) won’t have the skills to make decisions and will be a stooge for whoever in her cabinet wants to manipulate her… which since McCain is so old could lead to a puppet presidency very quickly.
[…] Free Range Librarian seems to think that Vets and librarians are community […]
someone who won’t have the skills to make decisions…? Wait, who voted present 130 times? The white house can’t afford to have an option like that!
And again, how do you justify voting for him as a Christian?
Just for giggles, I created this design:
http://s414.photobucket.com/albums/pp230/IronyRUs_2008/?action=view¤t=BookBannersforPalin4.jpg
I’m ordering tote bags for all my book-reading friends.
http://www.cafepress.com/ironyrus
Karen, A week since I read this post, and I’m finally responding to tell you how moved I am/was by it. Don’t know if it was the timing, 9/11, but I felt weepy reading it. Also wanted to let you know that I’ve quoted from it in my editorial.
Great editorial, Francine, and good for you to write it. Kudos to LJ and everyone else willing to speak out frankly!
What scares me more than the banning of the book is a feeling I have of the loss of separation of church and state. Almost everything Palin has done previously has been at the behest of her church.
Not only that, but the book Pastor I am Gay which is already an insult to many christians reveals a level of intolerance which is hard to bear. Very little has been said about Palin’s stance on social issues.
She apparently would not go to the African American Juneteenth celebration for ending slavery, and does not believe in interracial dating. Also, she did not have a single black person working for her while she was in office.
There is an American tradition of separation of church and state. When someone goes out and threatens people because they want books pulled from libraries because their church wants it, how is that separation of church and state.
So many of Palin’s views break a long tradition. The United States is not a theocracy. When someone comes in and tells you something political is God’s plan, that is a clear sign to fight them in my opinion.
Jesus may have been a community organizer, but he also said “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s†. Confusing god with Caesar is not a good idea.
Great post. I took great exception to the sarcastic way Palin spoke about Obama, and swore to my car radio that all the scrutiny in the world of this hateful, conniving person is totally justified. It’s becoming apparent that she’s being sheltered by the higher-ups from becoming a major liability, as she clearly has no idea how to manage being in the national political spotlight. Hopefully this will be revealed to the undecideds by Nov 4. Thanks again!
Thanks, Karen! Marcus Borg describes Jesus as a “movement initiator…It was a deeply Jewish movement, both in constituency and vision. Remarkably inclusive, it subverted the sharp social boundaries of his day. ” (The Heart of Christianity, 91)
It could be argued that Jesus was executed partly because of his success as a community organizer. His following became a threat to established leadership, and certainly to Roman authorities. Jesus did not organize by taking power; instead, he organized by modelling community with service and inclusion, and teaching folks how to care for their neighbors (i.e., that would include everyone. cf Parable of the Good Samaritan).
And what grew out of the early Christian movement, based on a model shown by Jesus? House churches, sharing meals. Organized in their communities by everyday people of deep faith.
well, i won’t enter the fray on jesus’ occupation, but, like sarah palin i was mayor of a small town. like sarah palin, i was a television show host. and i have been a proud community organizer since landing in my small town over 15 years ago. but where sarah palin and i part company is that i KNOW i’m not qualified to be the vice president and de facto, the president. apparently she’s not smart enough to know she’s not smart enough. which, by the way, is neither a comment on her gender nor her party. she’s just a dumbass like the president she wants to unseat.
[…] the comments on the “Jesus was a community organizer” post (and elsewhere), my illustrious sister Maia weighs in. She’s been mayor of a small town (Truckee), a talk show host (Truckee Talks), etc. and has […]