So community service is something to snark at...

Throughout the anemic speeches during tonight's episode of It's A White, White World, snark was the tenor for speakers who implied that Obama's prior position as a community organizer was somehow "amusing." Yes, I guess there is something amusing about someone actually caring about those who don't own seven homes (or even one, for that matter), who don't have the leisure time to go moose hunting because they have to hold down more than one job, or those who don't consider $250,000 a "middle class" income (and trust me, suga, it's not). And trust me further when I tell you there are a lot of us who don't find your snark amusing.

When inner city children don't have the luxury of a good education, or even being able to walk to some schools without being shot at. When mothers have to stretch out a check that doesn't amount to a can of beans. When the elderly have to decide between purchasing food or medication, both of which have rising costs. Obviously, some GOPers don't consider these issues worthy of any type of focus and action. After all, it's not happening in their back yards.

I guess organizing community initiatives to see to the needs of the people (you know, those folk for whom the Constitution, the laws, and the government were created, enacted and legislated but still fell short for a large portion of the population) - yes, this might seem like a lot of political fluff to some. But when a child no longer has to attend classes in a bathroom, which has unfortunately been the case for certain Chicago schools, or when an elderly woman can buy a can of tuna and her monthly allotment of blood pressure pills and still have money left over to pay bills...I feel these are good examples of community organizing in action. And so do a lot of other people like me.

Empathy for those less fortunate than one's self is a good quality to have as a leader - or a VP. Maybe Sarah didn't have enough time to realize that during her brief governance of Alaska.

Sarah really wasn't speaking to me tonight, although I have to admit she put a lot of pep and humor in her rhetoric. Say what you will about Obama's "rhetoric" and "fluff" and "feel-good spiel," I know at least that he understands what many of us Americans are going through. I'm personally facing foreclosure and although I don't need seven homes, I sure as hell would like to hold on to my one. Unfortunately, it's too late for me. As it is for hundreds of thousands of us who have been kicked in the ass by the economic downturn.

You see, I may be one of those in need of some community organizing. So Ms. Palin, your snark really rubs me the wrong way.

Addendum: It occurred to me that cultural and racial differences may give different contexts to "community organizing." If you make over $250,000, and live in a suburb of multi-million dollar homes, or if you live in a small Alaskan town where moose run free, your idea of community organizing is going to be a world apart from organizing done in communities where children go hungry, the elderly are not safe, and crime is rampant. We're not talking about organizing summer barbeques and martini parties or moose runs here. We're talking about job training to take young teens off the street, opening food repositories so that people don't have to skip meals (martinis not included, of course), getting businesses to open in underfunded and underserved communities to stimulate monies so that the economy can foster jobs (after residents go through training). Ironically, some politicos and ministers have to march to close down those businesses and trade that, unfortunately, are thriving - liquor stores and the street drug trade. Oh, but some of you wealthy folk would know about the drug trade - after all, you provide a healthy portion of the user market.

So, Ms. Palin and co-horts, educate yourself before you speak out of turn.