September 5, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
A civil-rights group and others are protesting Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s jab at community organizers during her speech at the Republican National Convention, where she accepted the nomination for vice president.
Defending herself against those who say she has little experience in government, Ms. Palin described her work as mayor of a small town, saying, “Being a mayor of a town is like being a community organizer but with responsibilities.”
The line, which was a thinly veiled attack on Sen. Barack Obama’s previous job as an advocate for poor neighborhoods in Chicago, drew laughter from convention delegates, but anger from others.
Wade Henderson, chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, responded in a press statement: “We’re a nonpartisan coalition but we do take exception when anyone disparages the vast contributions of community organizers to American society.”
Mr. Henderson pointed out the work of several famous people who have helped coordinate volunteers and activists — Benjamin Franklin, Clara Barton, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Nothing is done in a vacuum. Someone has to organize it to get it done. That is the simple and great role of a community organizer,” he said.
Liberal blogs also attacked Ms. Palin for her comment.
“I always thought that community organizers — people who volunteer their time, money, and ability to help others — were like small time mayors but they actually accomplish something meaningful,” an anonymous writer says on the Daily Kos, a left-leaning political Web site.
What do you think? Do you object to Ms. Palin’s remarks? Or is it simply political rhetoric?
