September 11, 2001

This is the end of the seventh anniversary of 9/11, and Obama and McCain were in New York doing the required. Various voices on radio, reading the names of the dead, on NPR two families honoring their lost sons with volunteer work.

Emails have been going around like crazy from an ad hoc group asking women to say why they are NOT voting for Sarah Palin ("we invite you to reply here with a short, succinct message"). One of my Barnard classmates (president of the class) wrote the following and gave me permission to include it here:

I, Sherry A. Suttles....add my voice to those opposed to Gov. Sarah Palin representing women in the Vice Presidential Candidacy she recently launched.

I was a staunch Billary fan for years, though voted for Barack Obama in the South Carolina primary as an absentee voter (before moving to FL), and am African American by the way.

And that is the point, Hillary was not my choice just because she is a woman, but because she is an intelligent, competent, experienced woman who has paid her dues as an active first lady (health plan) to an equally intelligent, competent and experienced husband President Bill Clinton and as a U.S. Senator from New York State for six years.

And now I wholeheartedly endorse and campaign for the Democratic nominee Barack Obama, not because he is African American, but because he is an intelligent, competent, experienced (yes State Senate and the only African American U.S. Senator of 100), who has paid his dues, not as long perhaps as others, but long enough to get the big picture and to move the country forward.

Both the Democratic prospective nominees are family-oriented, law abiding, ethical, and global minded, and lawyers trained at the highest education institutions in the land.

Sarah Palin has some credentials as a small town mayor and a small state governor, but her stated positions on sex education, choice, the environment, free speech, church and state, etc., are typical of her experiences--they are small, exclusive, diminishing, and petty.

This is 2008--the 21st, not the 18th century.

More power to her as a woman, mother of five, including one unwed teen, making her soon to be a grandmother at 44, with a stay at home husband. In our community, though, that combination would be considered "ghetto" and "irresponsible".

Now, the Republicans are lifting that up not only as a role model, but as the perfect person to stand (not sit nursing) a heartbeat away from the oldest President to be seated (if elected).

Unconscionable and Unacceptable.

Sherry A. Suttles 9/11/08

September 5

I'm working on the West Virginia issue of the Hamilton Stone Review. Response has been amazing, big names, less well known names, that wonderful mountain equality. The mechanics of creating the web pages can be if not a pain at least repetitive, but I'm enjoying the virtual camaraderie and the poems and prose alike-- whether the subject is redbud or Starbuck's, it feels like home.