Take Heart, Sweet Octavine

"If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation." ~ Abigail Adams

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I took this photo in a vibrant yet poor part of San Francisco, the Mission, at a Saturday flea market. My immediate instinct and response to this sight was Wow, this is really how the Republican Party sees women. This is why they chose Sarah Palin, an attractive facade with an empty head that can be filled with propaganda.

She is the perfect delivery device for their agenda: a pretty face, shapely legs. Because some people are suckers for that. Not just men, but women too.

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“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.” ~ Bertrand Russell

Dear Octavine,

I was thinking about you today, and I was going to reply to the comment you left for me in my recent post. I felt badly to learn how upset you were. If I were with you, I would have tried to cheer you up or make you smile. And then I thought about how many other people feel the way you do, myself included at times (nausea, ire, rage, dread), and perhaps it would be easier to write this for all of us who feel this way right now.

I hope you don't mind... I just think that the blogosphere is so helpful in gathering some much needed community and solace at times because people are generous in leaning out and saying they care. And I care.

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To me, Sarah Palin isn't the issue, ultimately. I think she is a symptom of the gamesmanship that some politicians feel they must stoop to and it shows pandering of the lowest and most bizarre order. And as much as I see her used primarily as a tool and a token, I don't discount what havoc she might wreak on this country and the world if circumstance made her President of the United States.

And when faced with such a barrage of media hype and drama about her every move, her every thought (or lack thereof), it's maddening.

To that end, I wanted to give you a link that might be helpful in countering the sadness, fear, anger because too many people see through this sham:

Women Against Sarah Palin

And from that site, another that I am taking a particular interest in, and perhaps you and your neighbors might want to look at this too:

Women Moving Forward

This is a request, an inquiry to any readers in San Francisco--at this point, San Francisco is not represented in this movement. Is anyone interested in learning more with me to see how we might put something together before October 25? I would be very interested in that, but I don't know where to start.

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So, dear Octavine, like you, I don't know how all of this will turn out. I hope we can be proactive and make our own contributions in what way we can. And then, if things don't work out the way we want them to, we won't give up, either. Lots of us are here for you and for each other.

xoxo