Politics and the Single Southern Girl

I'm taking a little break from the shallowness and the feel good frivolity that normally goes on around here.

Sarah Palin has been back in the news this week - and I can't help it - this woman drives me crazy.

I need to say that I do not believe that she was deserving of the allegations that she bears some direct responsibility for the actions of the young man in Arizona.  Clearly, he is disturbed and crazy people are going to do what they're going to do and he and only he is responsible for what he did.  Despite whatever mental illness he suffers from, his actions showed both premeditation and efforts to conceal his behavior - which indicate to me that he knew what he was doing was wrong.  And he deserves to bear the full responsibility for all of his actions last Saturday.

BUT -

There has been a lot of nasty talk flying around (from both parties) and Sarah Palin's rhetoric has been particularly vitriolic and full of imagery that should be cause for concern - especially since she seems to be at her party's forefront.  While she did not 'cause' what happened in Arizona - she certainly didn't help, either. 

We all have responsibility for the words that come out of our mouths.  And so does she.   And that responsibility is magnified when you have a national platform from which to speak.  Say what you will, her published ads placed a gun sight over Congresswoman Giffords' district.  It was ugly and irresponsible. And she shouldn't be surprised that people are calling her on it now.   And she isn't without some moral responsibility if someone listens to her and takes her words as some sort of encouragement or justification for their own ugly or violent actions.  

What drives me crazy about her is that I believe she is really symbolic of what is wrong with American politics.  She is poorly educated, poorly informed and poorly spoken, yet she looks pretty and panders to the lowest common denominator.  Style over substance.  Stupid cleaned up nice. 

This country has problems, folks.  Big problems.  And the solutions to these problems aren't going to be simple or easily condensed into one paragraph sound bites.   Big minds and big ideas and yes, big solutions that won't be easy to grasp are required.  And while I absolutely believe that well intentioned people can often disagree - and disagree vehemently - I think we should all remember that we're patriots and Americans and we all love this country.  And we should behave with a lot more civility and a little less verbal irresponsibility.

We will now return to purses and shoes and nephews and corgi dogs.