We don't need another pit bull
After watching Sarah Palin's Republican National Convention speech, it seems as though we have the female version of George W. Bush on our hands.
Let's draw the parallels:
1. She is revered by her party to be utterly "fearless" in the face of opposition.
2. She stands very strong in favor of her convictions.
3. She is stubborn and thinks this is a selling point.
4. She does whatever it takes to get what she wants.
This all sounds so familiar. It has proved to be a deadly combination in the White House.
The problem is that, as with Bush, what she wants is a Band-Aid approach to energy.
Her convictions include overturning women's rights laws and banning scientific research.
Palin stated Americans should have "choices in the way they live their lives," yet she opposes abortion, even in cases of rape. She is anti-abortion, anti-birth control and pro-abstinence and she puts her children in the spotlight as a symbol of... what exactly? A catch 22?
Being tough is not a bad thing. But she possesses the same kind of reckless, gung-ho "strength" that foolishly, and in opposition to the American people and every adviser in Washington, started the war in Iraq.
Drilling for oil in Alaska will slow the progress and de-prioritize the urgent need to explore green energy now.
This Republican Party seeks to ban stem-cell research, which could cure diseases. If that is not enough, Europe and Asia are already ahead of us in these processes.
In the name of the Republican Party, should Americans forfeit investing in the future of industry?
When conservatives drill this country into the ground, we won't be dependent on Saudi oil, just on European and Asian technology.
They seek "smaller government" which means less regulation on big business.
The word "change" has been used over and over at the RNC. But "change" is neither in the definition nor in the policies of radical or moderate conservatives. And there is one of each on the Republican ticket.
Combine this with religious convictions, fearlessness, stubbornness and personal agendas, and this country will be in even deeper dog-doo.
We don't need to call these Republican candidates names. They have chosen perfectly appropriate names for themselves: A dog and a rebel. Both with selfish, nonprogressive and destructive ideas.
Aisha Pulido
Chicago