Our Political Role Models

Posted by A Voice in the Wilderness

October 9, 2008

We’ve been hearing a great deal about VP Candidate Sarah Palin’s church blessing “against witches”. If you haven’t seen the clip yet, you can click here.

The pastor in question,Thomas Muthee. achieved fame in some religious circles for his supposed ability to free a village in Kenya from a witch.

As a teacher, I have seen how events in the public arena trickle down to my students. After Janet Jackson’s famous ‘wardrobe’ malfunction, a student in a performance at our school thought it would be funny to experience a similar situation and managed to lose the material covering one of her breasts during a dance number.

I won’t even get into how Bill Clinton’s experience redefined sexual acts among young people.

We can debate from now until next year about whether or not famous people, particularly politicians, have a responsibility to be positive role models, but the reality is that young people are definitely influenced by what happens in the public arena.

Having this in mind, it did not shock me to read about a student in Ferndale Michigan who splashed a teacher with liquid and then pulled out a lighter, after previously asking her if she “was a witch or believed in witchcraft”. The students had been reading Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, which centers around the Salem Witch Trials.

The Crucible is one of my favorite American plays. I’ve taught it numerous times over the years, and never once has a student threatened to burn me. Of course the student must have some serious issues, but I can’t help but wonder if the bizarre rituals being practiced by a Vice Presidential candidate aren’t affecting our young people.

One thing is for sure; Palin is definitely not contributing anything positive to women. Most accused “witches” have historically been female. In fact, the word witch has it’s roots in the word “wit” and it is believed that women who were considered to be “too smart” were often targeted as practicing some form of witchcraft.

This could very well explain why Sarah Palin would have a fear of witches, couldn’t it? I’m sure that any woman with brains would scare the pants off of her.