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The Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Hein calls Pam's House Blend:
"a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy."

He is "praying that Pam Spaulding will "turn away from her wicked and sinful promotion of homosexual behavior." (CCLM's web site, 10/15/07)

Ex-gay "Christian" activist James Hartline on Pam:
"I have been mocked over and over again by ungodly and unprincipled anti-christian lesbians."
(from "Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline," 9/4/2006, written from the "homosexual stronghold" of Hillcrest in San Diego).

"Pam is a 'twisted lesbian sister' and an 'embittered lesbian' of the 'self-imposed gutteral experiences of the gay ghetto.'" -- 9/5/2008


Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality heartily endorses the Blend, calling Pam:

A "vicious anti-Christian lesbian activist."
(Concerned Women for America's radio show [9:15], 1/25/07)

"A nutty lesbian blogger."
(MassResistance radio show [16:25], 2/3/07)

Pam's House Blend always seems to find these sick f*cks. The area of the country she is in? The home state of her wife? I know, they are everywhere. Pam just does such a great job of bringing them out into the light.
--Impeach Bush


who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted.
--"Joe"
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Breaking News: Sarah Palin is Stepping Down

by: Louise

Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 15:47:10 PM EDT


UPDATE:  MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell makes it sound like Palin is stepping down for family reasons and is sick of politics... has told backers she wants OUT.

UPDATE 2 (by Pam): She figures Mark Sanford self-immolated, Charlie Crist (ha) is going for the Senate, Mitt's Mormonism won't pass the fundie test, and Bobby Jindal looks like a featherweight. I guess that leaves Huckabee. What a field that is for 2012.  From the NYT:

Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska announced Friday that she would step down by the end of the month and not seek a second term as governor, fueling speculation that she is seriously weighing whether to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2012.

Ms. Palin, who was Senator John McCain's vice presidential running mate last year and solidified the support of the party's conservative base, explained her decision at a news conference at her home in Wasilla, Alaska, accompanied by her husband, Todd, and other family members.

"We know we can effect positive change outside of government," she said in making the announcement.

There had been wide speculation that she would seek to be the Republican Party's presidential candidate in 2012. Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who is also considered to be a leading Republican candidate for president in 2012, announced last month that he would not seek re-election.


=========================================

Of course the real story will be the "WHY??"

Holy Hannah...

She is speaking live in Alaska right now... will be updating this.

Her last day will be in a few weeks; she is stepping down on July 26.

Video here via MSNBC.
=================================

She's apparently been listening to Mark Sanford speak; this presser is remarkably off the cuff and disjointed in nature.

And for some reason, it sounds like there are a heard of hungry goats behind her. WTF???

CanNOT wait for the text on this train wreck...
Louise :: Breaking News: Sarah Palin is Stepping Down
The bleating in the background continues, as Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell speaks.

He is a far better public speaker and is reading off of cards, instead of the confusing blathering of his predecessor...

Michael Carey of Anchorage Daily News talking w/MSNBC and he also agrees that Palin was rambling, disjointed and all over the map.

That she was not running for re-election isn't a surprise- but the timing of this stunt is odd.

As was the timing of the info released in Vanity Fair this week, which pretty much eviscerated the Governor.

Is she ramping up THIS early for 2012? Is she that delusional?

My money is on "Yes and Yes"...

Related- The Sarah Palin Files
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Breaking News: Sarah Palin is Stepping Down | 293 comments
Something stinks with this!!!
Politically, I could understand her not running for re-election to focus on a White House bid in 2012. But resigning? It makes no sense...unless there is something more sinister lurking beneath it all. Any Presidential aspirations are over for her; how can you stand before the American people and ask to be President when you could not even handle fulfilling your full-term as Governor of one of the smallest populated states?  

"I like your Christ, but do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." ~Gandhi
"Upon the integrity, wisdom, and independence of the judiciary depend the sacred rights of free men and women."  
Damage control
for criminal charges that are coming up against her or spouse  later.  Another shoe to drop.

Same-Sex Marriage is good for the economy.
[ Parent ]
Think you're right
Either is possible- can't you see her as having tried to interfere with the Ted Stevens case to a criminal level or something similar?

Not at all out of the realm of possibility.

[ Parent ]
I guess she didn't like the late Michael Jackson sucking up more media oxygen she's been


>^..^<
The bleating in the background continues, as Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell speaks
Pigs & Turkeys

Champagne Time.

Not pigs & turkeys.
That sound is the bible thumping religious right crying in agony as their political saviour commits suicide.

Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.
[ Parent ]
Wow.
Have you ever heard a more disjointed, incoherent press conference? Can you imagine is she had to lead the nation in war?

This is the great Republican hope? Hahahahaha

Still I sent up my prayer, wondering where it had to go/with heaven full of astronauts and the Lord on Death Row.

Honestly?
Ya, I've definitely seen a more disjointed incoherent press conference. We had 8 years in the not so distant past full of them - I'm just think the Great Mangler W.

"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine." ~~~ Thomas Jefferson
[ Parent ]
Federal Indictment
Maybe something coming down on her actions as Governor?  Like trooper gate?
Bad Mother
If anything, she should step down because she's a bad mother.  

Everyone gets sick of republicans saying "liberals let their kids do whatever they want", but how is that different from running off to do political stuff, leaving your children at home, and NOT knowing what they're up to?

At least the kids of liberals knows how to get ahold of their parents.  And at least their parents are home.

True.
They also don't flee the country and not tell anyone where they are going on Father's Day weekend!

My America includes LGBT families.
[ Parent ]
And
They also don't toe-tap under bathroom stalls and then say, "I am not gay."

Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.
[ Parent ]
ummm..... but he's not Gay and has never been Gay...really!
As one with an intimate connection to the former Senator, I must defend his distancing from the G-word, even as I find his behaviour hurtful and duplicitous.  "Gay" is part of my identity and the identities of millions of people--it goes deeper [pardon the pun,  I had to!] than who gives me a boner and with whom I engage in sex acts, and it's a matter of pride and personal integrity.  A pathology of spurious sexual encounters with men under a cloud of shame is NOT Gay--it typifies the clinical label of "men who have sex with men."
[ Parent ]
I don't think you should attack her for being a "bad mother"
That call isn't ours to make. This strikes me as pretty offensive as well as also assuming that liberals treat their kids better.

That's NOT true.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
I know
I was just being bitchy! LOL

Being a good parent is on an individual basis.

But it still strikes me funny that she belongs to the "liberals let their kids do whatever they want" crowd, while doing her own thing out of town, not knowing what her kids are doing.  

Other than them being kicked out of their home, I've also never heard of a mother allowing the boyfriend of her teenage daughter to shack up at their place.  In the daughter's bedroom, no less.  This should be held up as example anytime in the future when republicans use the line about the kids of liberals.

[ Parent ]
I've heard of it plenty

Other than them being kicked out of their home, I've also never heard of a mother allowing the boyfriend of her teenage daughter to shack up at their place.

There are worse things than this.

There are worse things that Sarah Palin herself has said or done, that are much more worthy of condemnation than attacking her parenting choices.

There's a certain misogynistic edge to calling her out for being a "bad mommy" -- I've never heard any of that leveled at male politicians -- and it's reinforced by your self-description as "bitchy" (that's an anti-woman slur, you know).

I'd appreciate it if you could drop both -- there's plenty of stuff to criticize about Sarah Palin without pulling out sexist statements. Thanks.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
Does the name "Mark Sanford" ring a bell?
Yes, you have heard that leveled at male politicians.  I'm seem to recall Bill Clinton being called a lousy father once or twice.  Even Alec Baldwin was persecuted for it!  I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that they haven't been the only ones, either.

And, just like Sarah Palin, they deserved it because, to one degree or another, they were all lousy parents, too.

[ Parent ]
Google searches
"mark sanford" "bad father": 247 hits

"bill clinton" "bad father": 1,270 hits

"sarah palin" "bad mother": 110,000 hits

"hillary clinton" "bad mother": 9,030

Of course, these searches are just an approximation, but trying to pretend that male politicians get their parenting skills critiqued as much as female politicians is absurd.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
Sexism =! Solidarity
Yeah, but because it happens at all to group B, that means group A doesn't have the right to point out that it happens to them with much greater frequency or severity. Or that's how I've had oppression and marginalization explained to me here.

I am astounded that for a board that considers itself progressive there is a basic lack of understand of systemic oppressions. Saying Sarah Palin is a bad mom as an insult to her abilities as a politician is sexist. There is no dodge for that, regardless of who said what about whoever else.

I wonder how long before someone invokes "reverse sexism."

[ Parent ]
So true.


It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.
[ Parent ]
That's just what I was thinking

Is she fucking Mark Sanford?

Is TODD fucking Mark Sanford?

[ Parent ]
"Bitchy"
"TO bitch" means "to complain and rant".  "BEING bitchy" means I'm ranting and complaining.  There's nothing anti-woman about THAT.  

Unless you're saying women complain and rant all the time, I don't know where you got THAT from.

[ Parent ]
Uh-oh, you're on thin ice now......
especially considering the vile nature of some of the anti-woman stuff that's dribbled out of your mouth before.  Can't you quit while you're ahead?
[ Parent ]
What are you talking about?
EVERYONE is on full-time thin ice at The Blend.  As much as I love the place, that's the way it is here.  Too many overly sensitive people.  The #1 thing that sucks about associating with gays.
[ Parent ]
Well, since you asked, I'm talking about stuff like this:
Moo cow
Moo-cow ass
bitch
"her" [with quotation marks, when referring to a woman]
Prove she's a woman
sweats like a man
acts like a man
show the bitch how fugly she is

Those were just a few of the witticisms I plucked from your posts just now. Needless to say, you were discussing women.

Like I said, why don't you quit while you're ahead?


[ Parent ]
Kinda Stalky
especially since some of those comments are a year old (not that I take any of them back).  You "pluck" those comments as if I haven't said equally vile things about men.  

Anyway, this all began because a couple people didn't like my opinion on Sarah Palin, and began personally attacking me.  A silly waste of time, just people looking to waste my Friday.  I had better things to do.

Many of you people here claim to be the guardians of free speech, but free speech becomes invalid when you don't personally like what somebody else has to say.  It must suck to be the majority of you guys.

[ Parent ]
"Quit While I'm Ahead"
By the way, why do you keep saying that?

Do I have a death threat coming?

Going to threaten to kill my pets?

Stay out of my business.

[ Parent ]
She's not going to make threats
I don't like Pollyanna very much, but it's pretty darn absurd to suggest she's going to make death threats against you or kill your pets.

Just how do you get that from a common expression?

You should quit while you're behind.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
Associating with gays?
I'm not gay. A lot of people here aren't gay.

Is that your problem? Did you think you were at a gay web site or something?

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
Really?
"TO bitch" means "to complain and rant".  "BEING bitchy" means I'm ranting and complaining.  There's nothing anti-woman about THAT.

Are you going to argue that? For f**k sake.

"Bitch" = "female dog"

THIS IS A GENDER SLUR!

[ Parent ]
I Sure Will
And if you have any problems with it, take it up with Millie Jackson and my favorite LP by her:

http://www.cduniverse.com/prod...

Now please make it your activist cause to have her LP title changed.

[ Parent ]
Sexism
This, as many of the insights you've shared here have been, is a sexist comment.

Read Feminism 101 and come back with some arguments that aren't tired and offensive.

[ Parent ]
OK, PHB... let's see how you respond civilly to this guy.
This is the time when people who are always going on about how they're not sexist need to stand up and say, "Hey, bluegrassfool, you're being a sexist asshole."

Well?

[ Parent ]
I'll Remember This Comment
the next time you say republicans or "christians" are ganging up on teh gays.  

Sounds kinda Hitler'ish, don't you?

[ Parent ]
Hey, bluegrass fool...
...you're being a sexist asshole.

It's pronounced "Keeva."
[ Parent ]
Dissing Millie
If you think Feelin' Bitchy is a sexist LP title, you should check out Millie's ENTIRE catalog - especially the live albums.  You'll be breathing into a paper bag before the second act.

Plus anyone who disses Millie isn't worth my time either.

[ Parent ]
Yeah, whatever.
I'm not. But the nuanced understanding of systemic sexism and power structures appears to be beyond you, so I won't bother trying to explain why...
[ Parent ]
read gtj's
linked blog. Its a hate feast against the Blend and all non-trans posters, plus most of the trans gender posters too.  

Help defend equality, visit One Kalamazoo http://www.onekalamazoo.com/
[ Parent ]
No, it isn't
"Hate feast" (fest?) doesn't mean what you seem to think it means. gtj's blog has nothing like what you describe.

It's pronounced "Keeva."
[ Parent ]
What I read of it
does paint a very negative picture of the Blend and the people who post here.

And of course thank you for pointing out my spelling error. Because I have a seizure disorder I have issues regarding the use of words and even forget words. You should see the posts before I correct them, the is almost always "hte" and other simple words get lost. You should have a verbal conversation with me and see the look on my face when I temporarily "lose" words, like door or cat. Its very funny, except until you see the worried look on my husband's face.

But I digress. If I read gtj's blog and didn't know anything about the Pam's House Blend I would think it was a negative place. And considering the actions of the persons involved once they came back, do you not see that they have an axe to grind.

BTW: feel free to correct any spelling or grammar mistakes you find.  

Help defend equality, visit One Kalamazoo http://www.onekalamazoo.com/

[ Parent ]
Sorry
after re-reading my post I realize that I took a cheap shot. There was no way you could realize my issues regarding the use of language.

And while I don't 100% agree with bluegrassfool, and as some one who had fellow posters gang up on him for expressing an opinion that was not popular, I'm more inclined to defend him. Especially after gtj's call for people to denounce Bluegrass.

This is the time when people who are always going on about how they're not sexist need to stand up and say, "Hey, bluegrassfool, you're being a sexist asshole."

How does that help? It does not.

Help defend equality, visit One Kalamazoo http://www.onekalamazoo.com/

[ Parent ]
Avoidance
You failed to respond to the point of the post being responded to.

http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...
[ Parent ]
Ah, so I'm the misogynist now?
Nice.

Keep digging yourself deeper, fool.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
LOL!
Doesn't feel good to be boxed in as a misogynist, does it?

Get confrontational with somebody who'll waste their time on you, because yours is up.

[ Parent ]
Then judge her by her actions, not her politics.
Among other things, she dragged her pregnant daughter into the national spotlight to squash rumors about Trig's parentage, used her another daughter as a shield when she dropped that puck, allowed her school age children to fall behind (confirmed by the kids themselves) and in multiple instances dragged a Downs baby on stage to use him as a campaign prop. Her parenting skills are at least questionable.

Fetch my pearls, I need to clutch them!
[ Parent ]
Her actions don't matter, just her politics
She wasn't running for Vice Parent of the U.S. Whether she's a good mommy or not does not matter.

To add: I've almost never seen a male politician berated, especially not by "our side," for his "parenting skills." There's a certain misogyny here for singling her out as a "bad mother." It's a gendered insult, honestly, in the context of our patriarchal society.

I would appreciate it if people on the Blend would stop.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
her actions and politics mix a bit
in this speech she, yet again, rambled about how baby Trig was attacked b/c Linda Kellen posted a photo in which the baby's face with another politician's face.  Trig was not made fun of or disparaged in any way by this photoshopping.  She uses her children as part of her politics
[ Parent ]
her actions and politics mix a bit
in this speech she, yet again, rambled about how baby Trig was attacked b/c Linda Kellen posted a photo in which the baby's face with another politician's face.  Trig was not made fun of or disparaged in any way by this photoshopping.  She uses her children as part of her politics
[ Parent ]
All politicians use their kids
But only female politicians get called bad mommies.

in this speech she, yet again, rambled about how baby Trig was attacked b/c Linda Kellen posted a photo in which the baby's face with another politician's face.  Trig was not made fun of or disparaged in any way by this photoshopping.

What? That definitely does make fun of her baby. Are you seriously condoning that?

As I said before, I'd like it if you could drop the gendered slurs against Sarah Palin. She's a terrible enough politician that her home life, and our perception of it, simply does not matter.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
Psst -- only female politicians could BE "bad mommies".
The male ones who are bad parents -- Mark Sanford, Bill Clinton, et al -- are called bad fathers.
[ Parent ]
bad fathers
a bit OT but, are Sanford and Clinton "bad parents" because they're philanderers?  While adultery does, obviously, undermine the family unit it makes one a bad spouse.  One can be a bad spouse but still be a good parent to their children.
[ Parent ]
Sanford is a bad father
because he lied as to his whereabouts on Father's Day by an entire continent.

Just sayin'...

[ Parent ]
Absolutely.
Sanford is a bad father as much as Palin is a bad mother.  

I certainly didn't call her a "bad mother" in the first place because she's a woman and a mother.  

I said it because she's been nothing but a horrible mother since she's stepped into the spotlight.  She's involved her children in her politics, not to mention her DIRTY politics.  She's publicly been a bad mother, not just in her private family life.  

Had my mom used me as much as she's used the girls and Trig, I would have publicly disowned her, to shame her for being a bad mother.

She goes around parading as this "family values mother", when she's quite the opposite.

[ Parent ]
how do you get that it made fun of Trig or his DS?
Seriously, do you believe that David Letterman's tacky joke also suggested her daughter should be raped too?

Kellen was making fun of another AK politician by photoshopping his face to replace the face of a baby (in this case Trig) held by Palin.  She was calling the other pol out for being a baby, she did not manipulate Trig's face or attack him in any way.

I've not used any gendered slurs against Palin.  Her issues and limitations have nothing to do with her gender (and any thoughts or comments I may have had or made about her decisions and her status as a parent would be the same as those I'd direct at a man in the same position).

[ Parent ]
How do her actions as a bad parent not determine if she's a bad parent?
Yes, she was also a lousy governor and a disastrous VP candidate.  No, she doesn't seem to be able to do anything right.  Among those things, she's also a bad mother.

If she killed one of her kids, THEN would we have your permission to say she's a bad mother?  Seriously, what would it take for you to grant that?

[ Parent ]
She was running as uber-Christian Family Values Vice President candidate
No one brought up Sasha and Malia and the effect the campaign might be having on them because Obama never claimed to be the "good Christian Family Values Presidential Candidate".  However, Palin did.  The issues and her parenting intersect at the point where she claims that her being the good Christian makes her a better parent.  

# Duty, duty -- honor is, is --
Honor, Creideiki -- alertly
# Shared, is -- Honor #

[ Parent ]
But she is a bad mother, so what else should she be called?
When it comes to being a mother, she did the exact opposite of what she preaches, what her party preaches and what her religion preaches.  She's used her kids to break the law and ethics rules, her eldest daughter has been pregnant twice, she's lied about her own pregnancy, she's presumably going to be lying to Trig about who his mother is, she's dragged her kids into the mud with her, used them as tools to acheive her own ambitions, she's allowed her dropout teenaged daughter's teenaged lover to live in her house and sleep in her daughter's bed -- how much longer does this list have to be before we get to acknowledge that she's a bad mother?

Make whatever assumptions you want, but you're the one making the assumptions.  It doesn't matter if every mother in the world is also a bad mother or if none of them are.  Sarah Palin IS a bad mother.

For heaven's sake, the woman is a sociopath, not Mother of the Year.

[ Parent ]
You nailed it
“When it comes to being a mother, she did the exact opposite of what she preaches, what her party preaches and what her religion preaches.”

Although I agree that Palin-bashing tends to involve a certain amount of misogyny that should rightly be derided, hypocrisy is legitimate grounds for criticism.

[ Parent ]
Correct
"Hypocrisy is legitimate grounds for criticism."

And intolerance for intolerance is rightly appropriate as well.

Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.

[ Parent ]
For all of my complaints
against Sarah Palin, I really don't buy into her being a bad parent.

Opportunistic and willing to use her children as family values props? Sure. But so many politicians have also done this over the years.

On the road alot? Yup. Again, many politicians are.

I'm not going to engage in a long discussion regarding this; it's simply my opinion. Whatever legitimate arguments can be used against Sarah Palin, this one imo is not one of them.

[ Parent ]
And regarding "bitchy" or "bitch"
[ Parent ]
You don't know that.
Speaking as a feminist since 1973 and a mother of two, you don't get to say that.  Period.  Every time a woman succeeds in politics, people say she's a bad mother; it's a reflex.  A GOOD mother wouldn't be a politician, because she's neglecting the kids.  Being a politician inevitably takes away time from the kids.  By that definition, Ted Kennedy's a bad father.  Tom Harkin's a bad father -- he went into the Senate when his daughter was 3.  Barack Obama's a bad father. (puts hand to ear)  Do I hear crickets?

Has anybody ever said that Todd Palin's a bad father?  No.  Because parenting is the woman's job, and the woman's failure.  It sucks when people do this to liberal women, when they're doing it right now to Nancy Pelosi.  It sucks as much when people do it to conservative women.  And it sucks most of all when so-called feminists do it.  

Believe me, working mothers (I am one) beat ourselves up whenever something goes wrong in our children's lives.  It is a cheap shot to assume that when something awful happens to a politician's kid it's the mother's fault.  Sometimes it's the parents' fault.  Sometimes shit happens.  There are unplanned pregnancies in the families of stone liberals who teach their kids about condoms from the age of six.  

Yes, I did just register to post this comment.  Feel free to jump on me.  I didn't comment before this because the Blend was teaching me a lot about GLBT issues.  Now I have something to teach the Blend.

[ Parent ]
I agree with everything you said.
And Palin's parenting is still open for criticism, and she comes up lacking in that department, IMHO.
[ Parent ]
Yes, and I don't like her taste in suits, either
Her parenting doesn't make the top-25 list of the things I despise Palin for.  Why, when we're rejoicing over her resignation, is the first thing out of some people's mouths "At last we're rid of that bad mother!"?
[ Parent ]
If by "some people's mouth" you mean
one poster saying "If anything, she should step down because she's a bad mother," you'd have to ask him.

If you mean, "why didn't everybody else rush to condemn him," maybe you should hang around, check out the dynamics hereabouts and figure that out for yourself.

Maybe, in context, it didn't make most people's top-25 list of times or places they felt it necessary to go all nuclear on someone's ass. Sometimes in mixed company, just because you think something, doesn't mean you have to say it.  Every time.  With equal fervor.  To people you've never talked to before. Just to score a point.  YMMV.

[ Parent ]
Hey, Polly
You keep talking about "going all nuclear on someone's ass".

But I didn't do that.

Projection much?

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
"Keep talking"?
You keep talking about "going all nuclear on someone's ass".
I'm quite certain I've never used that expression but this once at the Blend; it may even be a first in my entire life.

So now you're not just a troll trying to stir the pot a bit; you're a lying troll trying to stir the pot a bit.

Please go find someone else to annoy.

[ Parent ]
From a feminist, thank you...
Thank you for this comment, so so much.

There's not much the Blend can teach, it is old prejudices in new language. I am not sure how familiar you are with the blogshere, but there are some fantastic feminist blogs out there that are written by amazing lesbian, bisesexual, queer and trans women (if you want to learn about GLBT issues with a feminist analysis). I don't want to link them here, because honestly I do not want to expose them to spillover of commenters who will post sexist and misogynist comments. However, if you want to email me (gudbuytjane at hotmail dot com) I can send you some links.

[ Parent ]
Jonquil is full of awesome
I've read Jonquil's stuff before, and she's great.

Isn't it kind of sad that we've come to the point with PHB that we don't dare post good links to feminist and LGBT sites?  :( Heartbreaking, really. Bravo, Autumn and Pam, bravo.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
Parenthood is NOT a valid political criticizm
Aside from being completely beside any point of Ms Palin's ability to govern Alaska it puts mothers in a double-bind.

1) She spends too much time away from her family for her career - BAD MOMMY

2) She takes her kids with her all the time parading them around and using them as props - BAD MOMMY

We never ever ever see this applied to male politicians. Sanford had his trip/affair over Father's day and it isn't getting a quarter the mention that Ms. Palin's ability to parent gets.

Ms. Palin stinks on ice. Her social conservatism coupled with her "small government" talking points makes for a disaster. She has points and opinion that need discussion and dismantling - distracting attention on her parenting skills is just that - distracting.

[ Parent ]
Can't run for President
... when you flat-leave your state as governor!

...Ready to Go!!
have to agree
that small town governance doesn't make her POTUS material so not being able to complete a full term as governor doesn't help her in any way.  the whole reference to a lame duck governors shouldn't apply to her since she could run for another term (and run for POTUS too).  

Holy shades of L & O, I have to wonder what she's gotten busted for this time to make her step down!

[ Parent ]
that's true.....
....esp when your tenure in the state was controversial....
[ Parent ]
Little Trig needs extra attention
in order to advance in development as far as he can, being a child with special needs. Let's hope the Palins planned to provide him with all available services in the country, and not just treat him as a hopeless cause, or scapegoat our higher power -- whatever happens to him as "God's will". Let's hope they're looking after him well -- and make sure the little sister holds his head up!

...Ready to Go!!
And remember
"the world needs more Trigs, not fewer."
[ Parent ]
After the way she screwed over AK Special Olympics
Sarah Palin should be ashamed of herself.

[ Parent ]
If she can't deal with the dirt
she can't be a politician.

...Ready to Go!!
Speculation of what's next
shall she replace Michael Steele?

(Nah, she wouldn't be able to handle what he's had slung at him.)

...Ready to Go!!

too boring for her....
...she's the Hillbilly Queen.
[ Parent ]
Replace Elizabeth on "The View"!
Elizabeth's pregnant again...

Either that or she's going to FOX to replace Huckabee. She has a journalism degree after all.

...Ready to Go!!

[ Parent ]
Something's fishy here
It takes a lot of money and effort to run for governor, even in a small population state like Alaska.

To just walk away from it mid-term makes no sense.  

Some possibilities:  she's ill; there is an indictment coming down (I'm from Illinois so that was my first thought); a scandal is about to break.  

However, it probably ends any further political aspirations for her.

That press conference described PANIC.
It was incoherent, even for her.

Something is coming down the pike that she is trying to head off. maybe she was one of Gov. Sanford's love interests that "didn't cross the line".

Still I sent up my prayer, wondering where it had to go/with heaven full of astronauts and the Lord on Death Row.

[ Parent ]
YES.
That wasn't a person who was confident and in control, it was someone who's scared for everything she's ever gotten away with.

She's terrified, she's running away, and that's all good news.

[ Parent ]
Yes!!
Who cares why?
yyeeeesss!
The drama queen has abdicated.  Hurrahh.
Can we please avoid gendered insults when discussing Sarah Palin?
Calling her a "drama queen" is somewhat misogynist. I'd prefer it if we could just stick with legitimate criticism and/or cheering, instead of sexist comments.

Thanks!

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
I guess I would take exception to that.
the term "drama queen" originated in gay culture, and you're appropriating it to a heteronormative usage.  If there is any gendering in the use of the term, it's sluring effeminate gay men, not women.
[ Parent ]
I use drama queen
to describe anyone who stokes unnecessary drama, especially when they do so to advance their personal agenda - and I do so without any thought to gender or sexual orientation
[ Parent ]
It's probably time you start thinking
Because it's a gendered slur.

It's pronounced "Keeva."
[ Parent ]
I'll respectfully disagree
sorry, I think we're getting to the point that we intentionally delve so deeply to find offense that we cause it regardless of intent or context.  It's getting to the point we can't even use clinical terms in the appropriate context because someone is offended or starts yelling about privilege.
[ Parent ]
"Drama queen" isn't a clinical term
It's a slur against women and effeminate gay men. It's not what I expect to read on a feminist LGBT web site.

Seriously, there are plenty of ways to criticize Sarah Palin that don't involve reference to her gender. Why is it intentionally finding offense to ask you to use those instead?

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
No, not any longer
perhaps it started out that way, but anyone can be called a drama queen nowadays and the use of the term has passed into the general culture. It can be applied to anyone or said to anyone and it would not be...

you know what, I'm through with this. I thought we didn't have any moderators.

[ Parent ]
"I thought we didn't have any moderators"
To quote from Pam Spaulding:

That leaves civility up to you to enforce in the comment community.

[...]

But the bottom line is that I'd rather not have to review any comments at all - is it that difficult to discuss controversial matters with one another and make mistakes and learn from each other, rather than attack and lash out in anger? We're about to find out.


This is simply a discussion. I didn't lash out in anger, and I asked politely.

A number of men have refused to take this issue seriously and refused to give up their gendered slurs against women. Ah, well. Sometimes the kyriarchy wins.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
Indeed, you have been very polite, imo.

[ Parent ]
Although I respect your opinion,
I think what is causing people to get angry with you and want to argue is fairly simple. Without Pam or the others acting as moderators, you seem to have decided that you would take on the task all by yourself. Which would be fine except for a couple things....

1. you want to take offense at everything, ok....that seems to be an affective way to derail the conversation. So after this point I will ignore any post you make, now matter what you say. This way hopefully real people can talk and share ideas (beyond your fight to enforce your ideas regarding "civility.")

2. you seem to have a lot of opinions regarding how the blend should work and how the people here should act, considering your account says you only joined the Blend on July 2, 2009. Why not sit back and read before forming opinions about people who have been here for years?    

Help defend equality, visit One Kalamazoo http://www.onekalamazoo.com/

[ Parent ]
Actually, I've been reading for years
A creation timestamp on an account doesn't tell you anything about how long someone's been here.  I've been reading this site for a long, long time.

Am I taking offense at everything? No, I'm asking people politely to avoid misogynist slurs, on what I thought was a feminist LGBT site.

Given the dominance of cis gay men in this discussion, telling me to shut up and stop asking people to refrain from sexism, I think it's plain to see this is no longer a feminist, inclusive-LGBT site.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
actually it is
but you can make a point and than let it be. It almost seems like looking for a fight. I've decided to reply because I think there is an important point to be made.

There was a discussion I had earlier that I think applies here. I'll summarize the key points, we talked about racial attitudes, but I think it applies here too.

1. Do to actions of the individual you are talking too indicate real prejudice, or just the imperfection of the English language?

2. Is the person really showing hate or just used the wrong words. As in, does the person have a history of leaving long posts denouncing that racial group or is this the only case you can find. (and extreme example: did they use the "N" word once, versus is the individual a member of the Klan.")

3. By taking over the conversation to make a point about your dislike of a word used, are you accomplishing anything? Sure you made your point, but you end the greater conversation. Its called hijacking a conversation.

4. Are you doing anything productive by your actions? Yes you point out your opinion, but you also put the other person on the defensive. It is now impossible to teach the person, because they will ignore you and treat everything you say as the rantings of a over sensitive child. Its the open hand versus the closed fist argument. Would it be better to attract the person to the conversation to learn, or better to argue and fight hoping they never post again. Because if your goal is to drive posters you disagree with away from the Blend, I will do anything I can to stop you.

5. The greater point, once you take on the role of conversation monitor, you most also act in a way that is non-offensive (which is nearly impossible, in your case, I found your attitude towards the gay/straight male posters to be a case of prejudice. You made wild assumptions regarding the posters.)

6. We are all human, and as humans are not perfect.

And finally on the Blend you have the ability to start diaries. If you would like to have a conversation about this issue you are more than welcome to start a diary about it, instead of interrupting conversations about other matters.    

I think that is it for now.



Help defend equality, visit One Kalamazoo http://www.onekalamazoo.com/

[ Parent ]
small point on #4
That's not her fault (nor, in any event, the fault of the person doing such.)

That's the fault and error of the person on the defensive, who bears sole responsibility for their own actions (technically, reactions), and is part of the issue.

In effect, that's a tone or blame argument, wherein the person subject to x is being blamed for x.

Not criticizing you, personally, just pointing out a minor flaw in your post.  I do leave it to you to examine the potential effect that may have on other statements in there, as, to be frank, I'm too damn tired.

http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...

[ Parent ]
But
the argument is: could you better educate the person in question without attack. A teacher does not teach kids in a class room math by walking into the room and screaming, "What! You don't know multiplication? I can't believe they let a group of idiots like you go to school in the first place."

No, the teacher realizes that the students do not know multiplication and works to educate. It takes longer and requires more work, but in the end produces actual results.

Help defend equality, visit One Kalamazoo http://www.onekalamazoo.com/

[ Parent ]
I'm still confused
Because I didn't attack. I asked politely and civilly.

Why are you accusing me of screaming at anyone?

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
I beg to differ
you are extremely patronizing and overbearing, any one who disagrees with you is wrong and must accept that your opinion is right and that they are bad because they use words of which you don't approve (ostensibly, because you have added another level of meaning to the word/phrase to make an assumption of privilege).  As I noted earlier making privilege (ableism, sexsim, etc.) way too much of an issue, way too often (based on the turn of a phrase instead of action or intent/context of the statement.  This not only hijacks a cause and diverts attention, it turns supporters off to the point they may well just check out and turn those would be supporters off to the point they let the different sides fight their own battles.  

In short, it ends up allowing self-righteous indignation has taken over any and all dialogue.

[ Parent ]
Mattkazoo
In fairness to you, I will use your example, and render it more applicable to the situation at hand, some of which you are not aware of as a result of the issues being discussed here.

Let us take that teacher.  That teacher is told that they have the ability to teach the course they are assigned without much trouble.

The teacher is also told the students are all advanced course individuals and that they will cooperate, because it is a valuable course.

However, when the teacher attempts to teach them, (they are adults, btw, not children, as we are dealing with adults), the students essentially accuse the teacher of being hostile to them and attacking them not because of the tone of the teachers voice, but because they actually don't see the value in the course.

Now have this teacher be subject to unjust accusations and guided mischief designed to harm them both intentionally and unintentionally, and have this happen, each class, over the course of several years.

Finally we get to the point where the class files in one day, and they all start talking over the teacher, ignoring the teacher, and, basically acting like the children they are not.

Now, would the enraged and abused teacher feel that screaming might finally get their attention?

And what if, when she screamed, they screamed back throwing the same stuff back at her.

Would you say the teacher, who cannot simply go off on her own to a new school or change course or any of that, would have reason to scream just to be heard?

I happen to think that yes.  I'm fairly certain most teachers would say the same thing.

And, as a result, my point still stands - again, not as an attack on you, personally, but strictly as an observation ont he point you offered, which, in terms that have apparently been weaponized, is what is known as a tone argument, where the content of the message is ignored on the excuse that it is not presented in a manner that the member of the privileged group deems acceptable in a system where only the privileged group is allowed to determine what is acceptable.

In short, look beyond the emotion to the message, since the emotion is the problem of the speaker, not you, and that does not absolve you of need to listen when the speaker is someone you are (not directly nor intentionally) oppressing in a manner that you cannot help until you are made aware of it.


http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...

[ Parent ]
Oh, an my apologies
I was unabe to get to the response sooner, and I hope you had a wonderful 4th.

http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...
[ Parent ]
That's ok
I hope you had a great 4th too.

No, in an round about why, I'm actually better educated in a lot of gender identity, transgender, etc. issues. When we were talking about the best ways to create inclusive non-discrimination laws in my city, I had to educate myself (talking to a lot of people and reading everything I could about the issue, its the student in me). These issues are complex and I still don't understand it all, its somewhat difficult to understand, especially since it is an issue that I in the past only considered when it came up, not having lived it everyday.

I just don't like how certain individuals are attempting to make their points. It seems that these individuals have come here with pre-conceived opinions about the posters on PHB, hitting everyone over the head with their ideas and not really caring if anyone learns anything of value.  

Help defend equality, visit One Kalamazoo http://www.onekalamazoo.com/

[ Parent ]
One quirk to me that I can't seem to shake
I always care about someone learning something.

http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...
[ Parent ]
re-read my post
I didn't say that drama queen was a clinical term.  What I did say is that too many people go out of their way to find some sort of privilege or nefarious slant and make almost every word or phrase a loaded one.  You're looking to be offended and, as such, you will succeed.  This, BTW, is a reason that many people just walk away from discussion (because when people are getting distracted because someone is yelling at them or throwing accusations they're evil or privileged because they haven't spoken exactly the "right way" to please everyone, they just walk away from the conversation).
[ Parent ]
Yeah
A gendered slur aimed at gay men.

Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.
[ Parent ]
Think it through a bit, and you might develop empathy...
So... if a racial slur was used against a white person, that'd be okay because it wasn't against a person of colour?

That's not an argument.

[ Parent ]
Okay, I was following your argument...
...but now I think your are pulling our collective legs.
Including your name.

We have a troll here folks.

[ Parent ]
Your what hurts?
She's pulling something, that's for sure. :)
[ Parent ]
I agree
 Caoimhe
Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 22:37:04 PM EDT

gtj
Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 15:51:01 PM EDT

Both are after the reboot and both seem to be hyper critical of everything anyone says on the board.

Help defend equality, visit One Kalamazoo http://www.onekalamazoo.com/

[ Parent ]
plus as I said above read gtj's
linked blog. Its a hate feast against the Blend and all non-trans posters, plus most of the trans gender posters too.  

Help defend equality, visit One Kalamazoo http://www.onekalamazoo.com/
[ Parent ]
I'm not gjt, if that's what you're implying
I'm just me. Caoimhe.

It's pronounced "Keeva."
[ Parent ]
I'm not pulling your leg
I'm honestly shocked by the resistance to feminist ideas; I had no idea that a blog run by a queer woman of color would be so actively hostile to the idea of avoiding misogynist slurs.

My name? What, pray tell, is wrong with my name, anyway? That's certainly the oddest criticism I've received yet. Can you explain it?

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
Gentleness, loveliness, smoothness
is how my Irish-English dictionary translates caoimhe.

Thank you for sticking up for feminism. My experience has been whenever men join a feminist group in sufficient numbers, they inevitably join together to dismiss feminist consciousness as beneath their concern. Which replicates the prevailing attitudes in the male-dominated world and media at large.

Here's what I find about compromise--
don't do it if it hurts inside,
'cause either way you're screwed,
eventually you'll find
you may as well feel good;
you may as well have some pride

--Indigo Girls

[ Parent ]
Nothing New
The kyriarchy has been alive and thriving here at the Blend for quite a long time. Someone who had the misfortune of joining during this ridiculous little experiment happened to be the loudest one pointing it out in this thread, and is consequently being personally attacked -- classic derailing behavior -- because that's what men do when they're called on their sexist or misogynistic behavior or language.

There is nothing new under the sun. It is just continually sad and surprising when allegedly "progressive" gay men enforce the same tired gender-based nonsense that is the underpinning of their own undoing as well. (The root of homophobia is misogyny, after all.)

[ Parent ]
And an amazingly apt argument for ignore lists
And I'm not one to advocate using an ignore list--there have been very few people I've interacted with online whom I felt absolutely no need to continue further interaction.

# Duty, duty -- honor is, is --
Honor, Creideiki -- alertly
# Shared, is -- Honor #

[ Parent ]
yeah, ANYONE can be a drama queen!
I've used that phrase on most (if not all) of my very male and very straight relatives.

That's policing the language a little bit to much and taking a bit of the camp out of teh gay.

In my opinion.

[ Parent ]
Gay culture was/is sexist
Slurring men by calling them women does not make the term okay.

"It's campy" isn't a good defense for sexism.

I'm not surprised that men are defending the term, though, although I am disappointed.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
I also called myself a bitch
For years, and privately still do on occasion. But that doesn't make it necessarily right to do so...

A quibble, perhaps.

[ Parent ]
The term originated in "gay culture"...
...because gay (male) culture was sexist.

Even in a gay setting, apparently the way to insult a man is to call him a woman.

It's a sexist term, and not one that needs to be defended.

It's pronounced "Keeva."

[ Parent ]
Yeah...how many say drama king?


It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.
[ Parent ]
Exactly.

[ Parent ]
Surely you're now simply doing parody, right?
Please tell us you really didn't mean that and this is your idea of a joke.  The world can't have someone in it who would type that post with any amount of seriousness, can it?
[ Parent ]
I'm not "doing parody"
I'm asking politely if the posters here using gendered insults -- most of whom are men -- could refrain from using misogynistic slurs.

For some reason you think this is a joke, and you refuse to give up your misogynistic language.

As I said elsewhere, oh well. Sometimes the kyriarchy wins.

It's pronounced "Keeva."