Dissent Of The Day

A reader writes:

I am no fan of Palin, and have enjoyed ridiculing her as much as the next guy, but I don't think that her husband's race should be so easily and casually thrown aside. I was shocked to hear the word "Eskimo" even uttered on the nightly news, let alone reprinted in countless descriptions of the couple in the mainstream press. The discrimination suffered by Native Americans of all regional or tribal backgrounds is all to often belittled in comparison to that of other minority groups.  While you are obviously not a racist person, that blog post is at least insensitive to the continued, and largely ignored, plight of many Native American cultures.

Sarah Palin's husband is half Inuit a quarter Yup'ik.

Barack Obama is half African.  If we are going to respect one man's heritage, we must also respect his neighbour's.  While I find Palin a complete joke as a national politician, honour must be paid where it is due.  Just as it must have been difficult for Obama to grow up in mainly white Hawaii, I'm sure it must have been difficult for Todd Palin to grow up with mixed heritage in small town Alaska.  It might not show up as clearly in his skin tone, but, just the same, Mr Palin and his wife must no doubt have endured experiences similar to those the Obama's have suffered.