Worries

My brother Eric blogs over on Inside Catholic (he is Catholic, I am not; we were not raised Catholic, but he has chosen this religion and feels very deeply connected to it - his faith is his, mine is mine, and we love each other and agree to disagree on this subject). He recently posted about the Palin pick (as did I, albeit much more crassly) and we had (not surprisingly) very different reactions. I commented on his post (using my real name, which means I'm no longer anonymous here. Kreepos who wish to send death threats should keep that idea to themselves.) Because I think this election matters so much, I'm going to copy my comment on his post here.

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I too watched Palin's speech, but had completely different reactions. The one thing I thought was good was the shot of Piper holding Trig while "fixing" his hair.

What worries me is that she has no foreign policy experience (and no, the fact that Russia and Canada are close to Alaska does not make her an expert on foreign relations), while we have not one, but two wars being fought.

I also worry about her (seeming) tendency to constantly check the loyalty of those around her and quickly judge, evidenced by the firing of several public servants in Wasilla upon becoming mayor. Asking the librarian whether she'd be willing to remove books screams of the desire to censor thought.

I worry that she has not held a press conference, and that the McCain campaign does not have one on her schedule. A single interview with ABC is all that they're offering now. If she isn't prepared to answer hard questions today, why should we believe that she will be ready to do so after the election? I do not believe she is prepared to be the Vice President, much less the President. Let us not forget that McCain has had skin cancer (melanoma, the deadliest kind) more than once and would be the oldest person elected to the office of President. Is she ready to lead on Day 1?

I worry that she wants to drill ANWR and thinks that global warming is not man-made. I worry that she thinks that it is okay to shoot wolves and bears from airplanes. I worry that she wanted Polar Bears (your favorite animal!) removed from the endangered species list.

I worry that the Republicans, while "pro-life" while speaking, have done nothing to reduce the abortion rate in the past eight years. While I am pro-choice (a dirty word here, I know), I am all for reducing the number of abortions in the United States. I am for supporting those who are pregnant and scared. I am for encouraging adoption.

In short, Sarah Palin worries me. A lot.