Cultural Persecution

NBC file photo courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle

I was contacted recently by Elizabeth Docent about the various posts I have done on Sarah Palin. I agreed to do another interview. Here’s the transcript…

Libby: What’s up with you and Sarah Palin?

Howard: What do you mean?

Libby: I searched your site using the string “Sarah” and almost 10% of your posts have a reference to Governor Palin.

Howard: I guess I just find her fascinating?

Libby: Tell me more.

Howard: She is a cultural lightning rod. Our culture has an obsession with her.

Libby: Why do you think that is?

Howard: She is currently the “chief promoter” of the principles of our Constitution, and our culture sees that as a threat.

Libby: You are starting to get weird on me. Explain that.

Howard: Look at events in the Middle East during the time of Christ. He was promoting a set of principles that resonated with the people being governed by the Romans. The Roman culture saw him as a threat to its authority and took action. You probably remember the headline:

FINALLY! Rabble-Rousing Carpenter Put To Death

Libby: So you see Sarah Palin as a “Second Coming?”

Howard: Now it’s YOU getting weird on me! No, this doesn’t have a religious context, but Governor Palin is living a modern-day cultural persecution, just as was documented some 2,000 years ago. We are watching that same dynamic play out here in the United States.

Libby: OK, I’m going to need an example.

Howard: Did you see my post about American Dhimmitude?

Libby: Yes, that came up in the “Sarah” search.

Howard: It had Kathleen Gustafson, a professed teacher, displaying a large banner proclaiming Sarah Palin as the “WORST GOVERNOR EVER.” Sarah confronted Ms. Gustafson, and the story was covered by the press.

Was the story about this person who apparently knows how to rank governors? Ms. Gustafson knows that governors like George Wallace of Alabama promoted segregation of people with dark skin tone. She knows that governors like Rod Blagojevich of Illinois have been convicted of crimes. Yet she sees them as being much better than Governor Palin. Governor Palin is the WORST GOVERNOR EVER!

Ms. Gustafson has the power to indoctrinate young people with her system of values and beliefs. Is the story about her? No, the story is that Governor Palin rolled her eyes when listening to the accusations of Ms. Gustafson. It is Governor Palin’s reaction that is the story, and our culture takes her to task.

Libby: That’s just one example.

Howard: See my post about the Family Guy episode. It documents the same effect. It happens over and over. It’s a form of persecution.

Libby: OK, but you also had a recent post on Todd Palin, Sarah’s husband.

Howard: Yes! Here is the person closest to Governor Palin, and he has insights nobody else shares. Going back to the earlier comparison, it’s like being able to interview Mary and Joseph during the time of Christ. Wouldn’t you want to know about their hopes and fears? Did they have any sense of destiny? Our culture downplays this type of reporting, but it offers a perspective that may be of great interest, depending on how events turn out over the next few years.

Libby: I think you are a bit overwrought with all of this.

Howard: As I said, I find it fascinating. Our culture is working overtime to get the narrative properly established on Governor Palin. Here’s one more for you to watch:

Sarah was apparently pregnant when she and Todd were married. (Less than eight months elapsed between their elopement and the birth of Track.) Have you read anything about that? Could it be that our culture is trying to figure out how to manufacture a “Sarah is not a true feminist” narrative, and the pre-marital sex issue is hard to fit in?

Libby: Hmmm.

Howard: A cultural persecution only comes along every millennium or two, and it’s fascinating to watch!

Libby: We’ll stay tuned.

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