The most amazing and refreshing thing happened in St. Louis, MO this past week. First, someone at Washington University decided that it would be a wonderful idea to invite Bristol Palin, daughter of former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, to speak during Washington University's Sexual Responsibility Week.
But, apparently, the student body, who's student generated funds were to be used to sponsor the event, thought that inviting a person who is the embodiment of the exact opposite of the topic to be discussed–on their dime–was less than ideal.
In fact, they hated it! Within 24 hours of the announcement of the invitation being extended to the Palin-ette, a Facebook page with a petition to prevent The junior Teabagger Princess from speaking had collected hundreds of signatures.
The day after the announcement, Saint Louis Today posted the following update:
Washington University in St. Louis says Bristol Palin won't be speaking there next month after all.
The decision comes after some students expressed outrage over Palin being paid with student-generated funds.
The daughter of former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin had been invited by the university's Student Health Advisory Committee to be part of a panel discussion on abstinence on Feb. 7. Bristol Palin became pregnant at 17 and is a single mom to a 2-year-old son.
It's not clear exactly how much she was to receive, but student leaders had approved spending $20,000 for the panel.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the university issued a statement Thursday night saying the advisory committee and Palin decided "the message that they intended on sharing would be overshadowed by controversy."
The Associated Press added:
"People are getting so angry because of the opposition to Palin's lack of expertise and the high cost she is charging," especially in light of budget cuts that have adversely affected other student activities, said Philip Thomas, the Washington University student who initiated the petition.
I often lament the fact that much of my home state of Missouri is too conservative for its collective well being. But it is refreshing and promising to note that, at least with the urban youth, they cannot be sold such a blatent lie as that which the Palin's pedal–that somehow, with their "common sense", "momma grizly", "soccer mom" mentality, they qualify as individuals that we should look to for cues on developing our own set of family and community values.
For my part, if I want to know what NOT to think or do, I should look to the Palin's for those cues. But I'll not support paying them for that information. They manage to insert themselves in our public discourse enough on their own for me to glean that information from them.
Generally, I try to ignore them. But I also try to ignore mesquitoes in the Mississippi River Delta summer evenings. That doesn't always work out, either.
Rural American Progressive
In Unity is Strength
