SEVENTY-THREE
Mayor Palin
On p. 73 of GR Sarah is discussing the opposition that she confronted in Wasilla when she became mayor of her home town. She writes, "Nick [Carney], who had originally recruited me to serve on the council, confronted me personally to announce that he intended to make my life difficult. He launched a recall effort.
"Within days, he and his cronies began holding public meetings around town, drafting a petition that said I was too inexperienced to do the job. When I cut my own pay, as I'd promised to do, they accused me of trying to shoehorn myself into a lower tax bracket.
"'Hmmm,' I thought, 'wish I'd thought of that.'
"This is a seemingly simple tableau and tale, but I think it provides us with profound lessons about the proper and gallant way to meet opposition and slanders with aplomb and humor.
Sarah cuts her own compensation. She does this on the basis of two principles, one general and one specific.
First, it is the right thing to do. Public officials should fill their offices with "servants' hearts," and should accept a minimum compensation for their services. This indeed has always been the nature of service. It is never measured by the yardstick of utility by which we justly measure jobs in the private sector. This is because NO PRICE can be placed on ardent devotion to the service of the COMMON GOOD.
This is why and how we distinguish soldiers who are in the service of their country from mere mercenaries, who are troops for hire ("merces," Latin for "hire, pay, wages"). The compensation that soldiers (and Marines, sailors et al.) receive for their SERVICE differs in a crucial and substantial and essential way from mere pay.
Even though we may often use the same WORDS to describe the two entities ("pay," "wages," etc.), in fact they are substantially and essentially different THINGS! The mercenary fights for WAGES, plain and simple.
The soldier SERVES out of devotion to country. Because soldiers are not angels, and have physical needs, they must receive some monetary compensation for their service, to permit them and their families to live. However, the REASON, the finis (Latin), the telos (Greek) for which they serve is NOT the monetary compensation; it is devoted service to God and Flag and Country!
Many of these brave and talented individuals could earn much more money if they worked in the private sector. However, they serve out of love for country.
Second, Sarah is keeping a specific promise she has made.
Imagine that, a public servant actually caring about the keeping of a promise, the keeping of her word!! She promised to do it; she does it!!
Finally, let us notice the droll humor with which Sarah meets Mr. Carney's attacks. " 'Hmmm,' I thought, 'wish I'd thought of that.'"
This little incident and Sarah's reaction to it show us how and why she will do magnificently in the dual campaign to win the GOP nomination for President, and then to oust the usurper, barack obama, from the White House. This warfare must be based on twin pillars. First, one must cleave and adhere to one's principles.
Second, one must be clothed and vested in the glory of a good and noble and lofty and humorous spirit. These pillars are like the talons and the wings of the Eagle!! Sarah adheres to her principles; she always has.
Sarah can laugh, which is a necessary grace when one is venturing into dire and mortal combat for the survival and the success of one's country. SHE HAS PRINIPLED GUTS; SHE CAN LAUGH AND SMILE; SHE WILL WIN!!!!!!
(PS: Don't these characteristics remind us just a bit of President Ronald Reagan?!?)
