Women for the Constitution but not for Sarah Palin

Women for the Constitution but not for Sarah Palin

We are women of different ages and shades of skin. We live in small towns, big cities, suburbs, and places in between. We are Christians, Jews, members of other faiths, and compassionate secularists. What we have in common is our strong opposition to the McCain/Palin ticket and our firm support for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. We want to show the world, or at least this country, that there are many, many women who feel the same way.

We are appalled at the cynical lack of judgment Sen. McCain displayed in choosing someone so ill-prepared for national office as his running mate. Not only has Palin demonstrated little compassion for, or understanding of, the complex lives of most US citizens, as shown by her mean-spirited "community organizer" slur, but she also appears abysmally ignorant of the wider world and its many critical issues.

Further, though she claims she wants the government out of our lives, she fervently supports the right of the state to interfere with our own bodies. We cannot accept this extreme position.

Perhaps most frightening is that Palin's entire history in public office indicates that she has a theocratic view of governing. Using God as justification for public policies, from preemptive war to oil pipelines, is no different from what other religious extremists do around the world. And what does such a claim mean for those of us who take other positions?

Our Constitution protects the right of citizens to worship as they choose. Also, while we certainly hope that our leaders use their highest values in making decisions, the Constitution prohibits "the establishment of religion" - including any laws or edicts which effectively impose the religious practices and views of one group on everybody else. Sen. Biden stated this position very well in a recent interview on Meet the Press. He said: I voted against telling everyone else in the country that they have to accept my religiously-based view.

If you share these perspectives, please sign this petition. Then ask your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same. In addition, and importantly, write your own letters to the editors of major newspapers expressing your thoughts about these very important issues.