I AM A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER! Blogging for Justice for Community Organizers

"I guess a small a small-town mayor is sort of like a ''community organizer'', except you have actual responsibilities." Sarah Palin, 2008

Dear Governor Palin,

I am truly offended by the remarks you made about community organizers. Your idea that there are no actual responsibilities involved in that task is no less than insulting to those of us who actually work as community organizers.

I find it ironic that you would be so flip about the efforts that are put forth by American citizens to help improve the quality of life within our communities. We do so because there is a need that is not being properly responded to.

No one knows how ignorant you are until you open your mouth.

This has been a matter of fact throughout the history of human kind. It seems that you made quite a revelation during that statement about what you know on this particular subject.

I dare you to come to my neighborhood and to make that same statement to the women and men in my community. I dare you to look them in the eye and question how responsible they have been in bringing together people and resources. Talk to the individuals and learn what they have accomplished and how they worked to get the tasks done.

I dare you to make that remark in the presence of the individuals of all ages who have helped to develop child care centers, playgrounds, health care centers, food banks, housing, educational, social services and facilities for our elderly. Come and tell them that their efforts were developed into reality without responsibilities. See what manner of response you receive for your irresponsible remarks. I suspect that you will find the heat to be quite intense.

I find it ironic that you would make light of community organizers. The women's movement began when women within the community reached out to other women. You are enjoying the benefits of their efforts Governor Palin. Do you think that they did not have the weight of responsibility on their shoulders? Why don't you ask the women who actually have connected with others in their communities? Grant them the opportunity to speak to you directly about their work.

That's right, I said their work. Our work to be exact. It is obvious that you really do not have a clue about what organizing entails. Even beauty pageants have community based organizers. And that particular event only benefits a select few within the society.

Your remarks only indicate how shallow you are as an individual. The statement you made about community organizers also indicates that you are way off base in your perceptions about how need and commitment produce results. The lack of proper response makes it necessary for people to solve problems or make changes.

But how can I honestly expect you to understand that concept Governor Palin? You support a party that spawned one of the greatest community organizational drives of this decade. The failure of the GOP leadership to properly respond to the needs of the Katrina victims made it necessary for the people to respond. Ordinary citizens who were appalled by the devastation and the lack of response by the current leadership, got up and did what we could to help. What sector of the society was actually failed to properly meet their responsibility? Does the name FEMA mean anything to you? Can we talk about how responsible this organization was during a national crisis?

While it is deemed the American way during times of disaster, if no one had a sense of responsibility~how did needed tasks get accomplished?

I am a community organizer Governor Palin. I work on behalf of different causes within my hometown. While you might think that working within my community is a task without responsibilities~I beg to differ with you. I take my responsibilities very seriously. Producing is what a community organizer does. No production effort has been successful without the individuals who participate taking on responsibilities.

I believe that you are the one who actually acted in an irresponsible manner by making that statement. The proper thing for you to do is issue a public apology. By doing so you would have to acknowledge that you were less than considerate to the citizens of this nation. As a potential leader it should not be beneath you to issue a statement of this nature. It would indicate that you are shouldering your responsibility in this matter.