[mukto-mona] Don't cross Sarah Palin!

Don't cross Sarah Palin!

 

A.H. Jaffor Ullah

 

There is a lot of buzz about Senator McCain's newly minted running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, both in the mainstream media and in the Internet.  Ever since she got the nod from John McCain to be his running mate, she was catapulted to national politics from Alaskan politics in a cinch.  The voracious apatite American media has for Sarah Palin is simply unbelievable!  I have never seen such an interest in the VP candidate in the last four decades.

 

In 1984 vice president Walter Mondale chose a woman candidate by the name Geraldine Ferraro, a legislator from upstate New York to be his running mate. But I hardly think that her nomination ignited a fire in Mondale's campaign then the way Palin's nomination has given a jolt to McCain's otherwise a lackluster campaign.  But wait!  There are a lot of controversies surrounding Governor Sarah Palin.  To McCain, she is a maverick who came to Juneau to clean up the corrupt state politics.  But to her detractors, she is all hype but no action type of politician.  Her entry to Alaskan politics is akin to folk lore.  Before becoming the governor of Alaska she served two terms as a mayor of a small town, Wasilla.  To contest in the gubernatorial election she fought against the incumbent governor, a fellow Republican and she won the primaries.  As an outsider, she promised to clean up the act in Juneau, the seat of state government.  The jury is still out on whether she was successful in bringing reform in the state level politics. 

 

Alaska is peculiar state from various perspectives.  For one, its landmass is huge; in terms of size it is the largest state.  But its population is only 630,000 – more than Vermont and Wyoming.  It joined America as a state in 1959 becoming the 49th state.  The state is rich in minerals, petroleum, and forestry.  Because of the recent price increase in crude oil, the state's revenue had increased a lot and the Palin Administration has decided to give each Alaskan a hefty yearly rebate - $ 2,100 per person.  Alaska's revenue soared because Governor Palin taxed the oil company to the max, which is anathematic to Republicans including John McCain.  

 

As I have alluded to earlier, Governor Palin is no ordinary politician.  She has many supporters but she also has many vocal detractors.  According to her foes, she is a revengeful person.  Many people who are familiar with her modus operandi going back to her mayoral days in Wasilla would paint a picture of her, which reminded me of Ma Kali or Kali Ma – a revengeful deity allover India.  Kali Ma is a reincarnate of Parvati, the consort of Hindu god Shiva, who has a penchant for destroying everything.  Parvati has many forms such as Durga (protector), Annada (provider of meals), Chandi (the madcap one), and Kali (provider of power) among various other forms.  In India, Kali is worshipped by many people but the outlaws prefer to offer their puja (offering) thinking that she might protect them from law and order department.  One thing is for sure – you don't want to cross Kali Ma for it will surely bring her vengeance with untold suffering. 

 

Here is list of anecdotes compiled by a woman by the name Anne Kilkenny.   The NY Times had published an article entitled "Palin's start in Alaska: Not politics as usual" in which there is a segment about Palin's encounter with Wasilla librarian.  The NY Times narrated the story as follows: "Shortly after becoming mayor, former city officials and Wasilla residents said, Ms. Palin approached the town librarian about the possibility of banning some books, though she never followed through and it was unclear which books or passages were in question."

 

"Anne Kilkenny, a Democrat who said she attended every City Council meeting in Ms. Palin's first year in office, said Ms. Palin brought up the idea of banning some books at one meeting. "They were somehow morally or socially objectionable to her," Ms. Kilkenny said."

 

"The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to "resist all efforts at censorship," Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show of support. Ms. Emmons, who left her job and Wasilla a couple of years later, declined to comment for this article."

 

Sarah Palin has zero tolerance for people who cross her.  One such person who crossed her is Walter Monegan, the former Public Safety Commissioner, who paid dearly for disobeying her.  Mr. Monegan was fired on the ground of performance-related issues such as not being a team player on budgeting matters.  She then offered him an alternative position as executive director of the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which he turned down.  Mr. Monegan alleged that his dismissal was retaliation for his failure to fire Palin's former brother-in-law, Alaska State Trooper Mike Wooten, who was involved in a child custody battle with Palin's sister. Mr. Monegan further alleged that contacts made by Palin herself, her staff, and her family had constituted inappropriate pressure to fire Wooten.  Sarah Palin denied pressuring Monegan, and reiterated that she did not fire Monegan because of Wooten, who believe or it or not is still employed as a state trooper.

 

Many observers in Wasilla and Anchorage who have watched Palin up close have expressed their opinion about the governor's vindictive attitude.  "My way or highway" is her operating mantra.  Since John McCain has vetted her personally without doing a thorough background check, it is not surprising that he chose a politician who is not an epitome of compassion.  This is quite obvious that Sarah Palin was not fully vetted by McCain. 

 

The Republican VP candidate, Sarah Palin, has an amazing apatite for killing wildlife.  Under her leadership Alaska has passed a rule whereby a game hunter could shoot animal while he or she is airborne!  In no other state in the union a person could kill an animal from airplane.  Come to think of it, India's Ma Kali also doesn't mind bloodletting.

 

Senator McCain if elected will be the oldest person to assume the office of presidency in America.  Aside from his advanced age, he is not exactly a healthy person.  Physicians have already taken out several melanoma cells from his skin in the last few years.  Therefore, if he is incapacitated, Sarah Palin may assume the office of the presidency.  This is a scary thought notwithstanding her vindictive attitude, utter neglect for the wildlife and environment, and her 'holier than thou' Christian fundamentalist attitude. 

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Dr. A.H. Jaffor Ullah, a researcher and columnist, writes from New Orleans, USA

 

       

 

 

 

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