Maverick

Main Entry:
1mav·er·ick

Function:
noun
Etymology:
Samuel A. Maverick †1870 American pioneer who did not brand his calves
Date:
1867
1: an unbranded range animal ; especially : a motherless calf
2: an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party

John McCain was once a maverick. He was a maverick to such an extent that some conservatives, myself included, were members of a group of bloggers who wanted any Republican nominee for president other than McCain. He was seen as being to socially conservative. He bucked the party line many times. He had a chance to change the direction in which the Republican party was drifting.

He had a chance to turn the Republican party away the divisive of 'us' against 'them'. As Senator, he worked closely with Democrats and other parties. He was truly a maverick knowing full well that only by working together can things be achieved. He became very unpopular with some Republicans because of his views.

He could have chosen to be the maverick in this presidential race. Instead, he chose to ignore his on record and selected someone I find intolerable to be vice-president. Sarah Palin is to be admired for raising her family while at the same time being elected mayor of Wasilla and then becoming governor of Alaska. She is very attractive and that is part of her appeal. My problem with Sarah Palin is that she represents the many things wrong with the Republican party.

The Republican party seems to be nothing more than a rage machine. Palin, at one of rallies, speaks of little pockets of 'real' America. A McCain advisor speaks of 'fake' Virginia. In seems that those who lean liberal are not to be counted as 'real' Americans.

That in and of itself is not an American view. America is not a one-size fits all country. We are country of many different view-points. We are a nation of immigrants. I take pride in knowing that my country opened its doors so that my great-grandfather and grandfather were able to escape the tyranny of Ukraine. Like many immigrants and those born in this country, they took advantage of the great opportunities our country offers. My grandfather married a very liberal women. She worked as Adlai Stevenson's secretary. She died before World War II ended. I have her address book and it makes me proud that she worked with many committees to improve racial relations.

Palin, with her 'real' America stance implies that my grandmother was not a 'real' American. And yet, it is Americans such as my grandmother who show the true spirit of America. The idealism of all men are created equal and that all should be given the opportunity to succeed is at the heart of our country. The Statute of Liberty has inscribed on its base "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to be free,".

Palin's 'real America stance is not the only problem I have with her. She is part of the religious right. The Moral Majority and others in the Evangelical movement have been trying to foist their religious ideology on America. The latest attempt is to have Creationism, gusied now as Intelligent Design, taught in our schools. Many have castigated Obama for being a member of Reverend Wright's church. But what of the church Palin belongs too?

Back in August, the church Palin goes to invited the leader of the Jews for Jesus movement. Here is a brief excerpt of what Palin may have listened to:

Take a look at some of the sermons done by Palin's pastor. Take a look at what one of the guest speakers at her church had to say back in August:

Palin's pastor, Larry Kroon, introduced Brickner on Aug. 17, according to a transcript of the sermon on the church's website. "He's a leader of Jews for Jesus, a ministry that is out on the leading edge in a pressing, demanding area of witnessing and evangelism," Kroon said.

Brickner then explained that Jesus and his disciples were themselves Jewish. "The Jewish community, in particular, has a difficult time understanding this reality," he said.

Brickner's mission has drawn wide criticism from the organized Jewish community, and the Anti-Defamation League accused them in a report of "targeting Jews for conversion with subterfuge and deception."

Brickner also described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God's "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity. "Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. It's very real. When [Brickner's son] was in Jerusalem he was there to witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment — you can't miss it."

From the link above, you can read other sermons by Palin's pastor to get an idea of what she has been listening to.

The problem is that religion should not be tied up with politics. The United States does not have a national religion. Many say that because the majority of people who live here are Christians, we are a Christian nation. This flies in the face of our country. We are a united nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, Wiccans, and many, many others.

Our greatest strength is the many different views that been integrated into our society. MccCain's campaign is run on 'us' against 'them'. McCain is no longer the maverick. He chose to go with the very tiresome and old politics of divisiveness.