As an American, I can claim to live in a democracy where I enjoy the right to freedom. I am blessed to be a citizen of a nation that does not try to extinguish my freedom of speech or religion. However, these freedoms come as a mixed blessing in disguise with Governor Sarah Palin. In fact, this democracy that I enjoy so much may soon be a thing of the past.
Recently, on September 10th 2008, the Alaska Republican Party (ARP) hosted a welcome home rally for Governor Palin. The rally was open to the public; however organizers asked only those who support Palin and McCain to attend. “If you don’t, we’re encouraging you not to come,” party spokesmen McHugh Pierre said. People were prohibited to take water bottles or signs into the rally, however, in preparation of the rally supporters of all ages were “invited to help make signs from 5-7pm". I realize that it was the ARP that asked those who did not support Governor Palin not to come to the rally but this sort of suppression behavior seems to be following Palin everywhere. Who's to blame?
I’m not going to let Governor Palin get off that easily. There have been several cases where Palin has abused her power to intimidate and fire those whose opinions and motivations differ from that of her own agenda. Take for instance Mary Ellen Emmons, the city librarian of Wasilla, who was accosted by Sarah Palin when she first became mayor. Mayor Palin inquired as to whether Mary Emmons would consent to censoring library books if she were asked to do so. Mary Emmons expressed complete disdain for the idea. A few months later Emmons received a letter from Mayor Palin informing her that she was going to be fired because Palin felt that she did not fully support her. The censorship issue was not mentioned in the letter. However, after much outcry and support over Emmons, Palin relented, allowing her to keep her job.
In 1997, a group called the Concerned Citizens for Wasilla cried for the recall of Mayor Sarah Palin. The group of 60 + Wasilla residents were concerned about the direction she had taken since acquiring the mayoral office. They were also outraged with her firing of Police Chief Irl Stambaugh. In 1996 when Palin ran for mayor against John Stein, who had been mayor for 9 years, Stambaugh along with four other city department heads wrote to the local paper in response to a remark by Palin that criticized the current city leadership. The Palin-Stein mayor race was very heated as well as bitter. When Palin was elected mayor the fate of the remaining city department heads was up in the air but became clear shortly after Mayor Palin took office . In 1996, during the same time that librarian Mary Emmons received her notice of being fired, other officials in Wasilla received similiar letters from Mayor Palin for their lack of support to her. Along with Mary Emmons, Irl Stambaugh also received a letter informing him that he was being fired for reasons cited as his "not fully supporting her [Palin's] efforts to govern." The museum director was fired as well, and two of the four remaining department heads quit. When 3 women at the museum were asked to choose between themselves which should be let go, all three women quit. A local newspaper, the Frontiersman, condemned Palin's ideology of the 'we're either with her or against her' attitude and claimed she mistook her mere 616 votes as a "coronation".
On July 11, 2008 Department of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was fired for reasons Monegan claimed were personal and vindictive of then Governor Palin. Walt Monegan felt that he had been let go because he had not fired trooper Mike Wooten, who at the time was involved in a messy divorce with Palin's sister. Monegan claims that he had been approached by not only the governor, but also her husband and other aides, concerning the behavior of Wooten. All those involved have denied pressuring Monegan to fire Wooten and Governor Palin has claimed she did not fire Monegan because he refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law. Monegan decided to speak out about his dismissal, "I'm watching the stresses put on everyone I used to work with. And these guys are good people," he said. "This may be one of the few things, one of my last things, to support them. You know, they can't fire me twice." Well said, Monegan, well said! Governor Palin's firing of Walt Monegan is currently under investigation. I hope they return a guilty verdict, but I doubt that will happen. Especially since the McCain campaign has urged Palin's family and friends not to speak to the media and even trained them on proper ways to respond to media inquiries while saying "supportive things" about Governor Palin. Surprise, surprise. Yet another case of suppression of dissident voices when it comes to Governor Palin.
Governor Palin has a long, and very well recorded history of doing away with those who dissent from her views or do not fully support her actions. She issued a gag order, telling department heads that they had to speak with her and get her ok before speaking to reporters. So much for free speech.
I'll leave you with something to ponder: The American Heritage Dictionary defines totalitarianism as "Of, relating to, being, or imposing a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed." As mayor and governor, Palin has shown that she does not hesitate when it comes to suppressing those whose loyalty aka poltical opinion does not fully support hers. Another act of suppresion occurred today in Golden, Colorado where Governor Palin was campaigning as Senator McCain's running mate. Signs that the crowd brought with them were not allowed in but McCain's campaign distributed yellow signs inside. Yet again the voices of critics have been closely monitored and controlled. Do we really want a vice president candidate , one who may someday become president, that restricts our rights to free speech?
She has other very conservative views on abortion and religion, to name a few. Although she has not at this time done anything to control those two issues I have no doubt in my mind that as vice president or god forbid president, Palin would continue her record of suppressing the voices of dissent and will further her own political agenda by controlling the government and we the people, in order to progress her own totalitarian rule.
Could we seriously find ourselves facing this issue if Palin acquires the vice presidency?
Totalitarian regimes were thought to be (under Hitler and Stalin they certainly were) energetic, enthusiastic in an almost religious sense, on the march..
I am an indivdiual who believes in my right to speech. I am simply expressing a dissident voice. I have one question for you, Governor Palin. Will you try to suppress my voice?
