The Roses of Prose: Sarah Palin

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I’m Barbara Edwards and I’m sticking my neck out.

Can you take a little controversy?

I am holding up Sarah Palin as a Woman of Achievement.

Before all you rabid extremists burn my ears, let me tell you I don’t care about your politics. I also admired Geraldine Ferraro for taking on the male political establishment. I also admire Hillary Clinton for her presidential run and Michelle Bachman for hers.

When Sarah Palin’s name came up as the Vice Presidential nominee, my heart exploded with satisfaction. Finally, all those feminist ideals I’d been raised with were coming to fruition. Her party didn’t matter. She broke the glass ceiling that Geraldine Ferraro cracked.

Yippee for women! Hurray for females. Women rock!

So what makes her a Woman of Achievement in my opinion?

She’s a mother. I’m a mother and I know what a full-time job that is.

She graduated from college. Okay, maybe that’s low on the list but my own degree was the result of hard work, not grants, and my less than ivy-league degree as important.

She lives in Alaska, the last true frontier, and is a hunter, and a fisherman. I also can use a rifle and revolver although my fishing skills are limited to catfish and bass.

She married a man who was strong enough to support all her efforts. It took me years to find a man who accepted me and supported my writing.

She became involved in politics to fix a problem and then fixed it. Wow. Achievement. I ran for local selectman and got creamed.

She stood up to every nasty comment that can be thrown at a woman. Having been the object of gossip myself, my heart went out to her. Not fair.

So all of you who don’t like Sarah? Okay. I’ll just delete any nasty remarks. As I said, it isn’t her party I admire. It’s her guts in plowing the road for all the women who will follow. Check your local and state ballots in the coming years and give her the credit she deserves. Sarah took those barbs and arrows first.

She is the woman the sixties feminists shouted we all could be. And in my heart of hearts I envy her for all she’s done, including writing a best seller.