In belonging to a minority group, you must constantly question who you are, what you believe and whether you have the courage to persistently maintain those beliefs. That’s the easy part. The real challenge begins once you cross the threshold of your front door, go out into the big noise we call society and attempt to actually defend your established principles and morals (or lack thereof).
The primary example of this sort of lifestyle is that of a conservative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It is obviously difficult to sustain a sense of self-confidence when your ideologies are frequently disputed (reasonably by some and brashly by others). Sincere support and guidance for conservatives is hard to come by, but once in a great while you see it happen.
Sarah Palin’s speech in West Allis last Friday is one instance. The speech marked her re-emergence on the national scene after a short hiatus following her resignation as Alaska’s governor. As part of a fundraiser for the Wisconsin Right to Life Education Fund, Palin gave a talk mostly regarding the ever-controversial issue of abortion.
In front of about 5,000 people at the State Fair Park, Palin expressed how important it would be for advocates to continue to press lawmakers on abortion issues. This gathering of supporters was organized as a low-profile affair where there would be no media coverage of the event. Palin notably commended Wisconsin’s fervent anti-abortion movement that has consistently influenced state legislation over time.
“Let’s simplify — we’re pro-children,” Palin asserted to the thousands of attendees. This blunt statement has significant implications for the matter of abortion though. Being ‘pro-life’ is more than determining the extermination of a fetus as murder. It is the upholding of the idea that the embryo has the potential to become a rational human being who, through childhood and into adulthood, has the capability of positively influencing and affecting his or her fellow man.
This statement contradicts the opponent’s notions that have been cleverly dubbed as ‘pro-choice,’ as if to say that the main issue at hand is the baby carrier’s self-determined freedom and not the baby’s right to life. But, as a typical conservative, Palin spent more time passionately maintaining her views than audaciously slamming the opposition.
“We were told to sit down and shut up,” Palin declared relating to the situation of the anti-abortion advocates in attendance. She went on to say, “Wisconsin, you went rogue.” This statement parallels the evident persistence of Wisconsin anti-abortion with the “going rogue” of Palin and the conservatives from the divided Republican Party.
Palin put her short 25-minute speech on a more personal level when she brought up her son Trig, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome while he was still in the womb. Many might wonder why Palin continues to publicly mention her family in the wake of slander by newspapers, magazines and talk-show hosts. Perhaps it is because she individually maintains more integrity than the entire state-run media ever will.
In characterizing the health care reform bill as a “government takeover,” Palin made the appeal that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at least permit a congressional vote that might forbid a federally sponsored health insurance plan from compensating for abortions. This apparently had some sort of effect — late Friday night Pelosi allowed anti-abortion Democrats to try to tighten restrictions on coverage of abortions under the plan. But this was more of a necessary move to get the bill passed than a concession to the conservatives.
All in all, Palin’s speech was more of a rally than a possible beginning of a political campaign. Her words emanate the notion of ideological purity through adherence to morality. Opponents characterize her speech as colloquial, and they denounce her as a quirky, uneducated woman who has no business in politics. But people who tend to criticize a speaker’s demeanor tend to be ignorant of the facts. When they don’t have a legitimate counterargument using concepts and ideas, they resort to vilifying peripheral aspects to discredit the figure’s reputation.
When you don’t have the support of popular opinion, you not only stand the chance of failure, but also utter humiliation. How do you stand up against the rising of the tide? You stick to your principles and morals while maintaining a degree of honesty in every situation you are confronted with. Doing so makes you a truly respectable person in society. It is too bad it also makes you a minority.
Aaron Linskens ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in English and journalism.