What it ought to do

My dear friend, Erin, asked for a post about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. She asked for it, so here's my opinion: I am OK with her as the VP pick.

I realize the squawking began a long time ago about her lack of experience and how it completely trumps John McCain's main advantage against Sen. Barack Obama. Except for the whole thing about John McCain being at the top of the ticket instead of Palin. So, it's not quite the same thing. Obama should really switch spots with Sen. Joe Biden. Then we'd have a more evenly matched race, in my humble opinion. So anyway, I like her. I don't agree with everything she and McCain stand for, but I like their fiscal policy and that's the only thing I think about when I vote anyway.

I've gotten into some conversations about politics recently with my fellow journalist colleagues (most of whom are "Commie Liberals"...cheers!) in which I hear things like:

"I just can't be OK with someone who believes in Creationism because that means he's stupid."

or

"Yes, but clearly abstinence only sex education doesn't work if her daughter is preggers."

And I would just like to set the record straight on one thing. Ahem. The problem with arguments like these is the fundamental difference in one's belief about what government ought to do. And here's what I mean by that:

I can't possibly agree with everyone on everything. I 100 percent don't believe that Creationism should be the primary theory taught in public schools. I do not care how people want to handle sex education in schools. I couldn't give a tiny rat's ass about whether someone is a gifted speaker.

And that's where I get stuck. Because here's the thing: while, yes, I do want everyone to be able to get quality, affordable health care, and, yes, I do want people to be able to buy homes, I just fundamentally believe that it's not the government's job to make sure all those things happen. It's not their job to take care of us. That's not where our help should come from. I honestly think it's really sad that when a hurricane hits, people get mad about not being taken care of when what I see on the TV screen are able-bodied people who could easily get their hands dirty and get to work.

It may sounds heartless, but I'm pretty sure that when some entity such as a governmental institution takes on the responsibility that the individual ought to have, it can only lead to a failure, a breakdown, long lines to see the doctor, and a lack of the good stuff that makes up the American Dream. (The dream, not the right or the entitlement.)

So that's my thought. I realize I've sort of drifted from the original topic of Sarah Palin. But, the reason I am OK with her and OK with John McCain is not because I agree with all their positions. It's not because Sarah Palin can see Russia from her house. It's because the kind of government they would run would (in theory) be less intrusive than the kind Barack Obama would run. And I just simply believe that my freedom means I have to take care of myself.