My question to you on this Thanksgiving is, “Are you planning to read Sarah Palin’s new book?” I keep hearing people ask one another this question as they watch others line-up at Palin’s various book events. During this Thanksgiving, I plan to buy and read her 400-page bestseller, and I hope you will, too. Keep reading…

I remember being taken to task when I wrote here that Palin should be given a chance after Senator John McCain named her as his running mate in the 2008 presidential race. I urged people then not to stereotype Palin and to simply write her off. I still get sharp jabs from people about that blog posting.

After watching Palin campaign and then return to Wassila to resign her governor’s seat, my own views evolved. Indeed, I wrote after her resignation as governor that she should have stayed in office and fought for what she believed; but she chose to give up her office and give in. That’s not the kind of leadership we need.

Now, we are faced with the question of her book. I will read it for a number of key reasons:

1.  Palin is a political phenomenon and I want to understand what she has to say;

2.  More importantly, she is giving voice to a segment of America that yearns to be heard – I want to know what Palin is speaking to;

3.  Finally, Palin is not a bigot, hate-monger, or racist – if she were, we might decide to condemn her, possibly isolate her. But, instead, I believe in this society – especially now, when so many things are at loggerheads – we must see and hear all points of view, especially when we might not agree with them.


So, yes, I am back to a theme I have written and spoken about numerous times, and which I believe is essential to exercise during these tumultuous times. If we choose only to see and hear those people we agree with, then where does that leave us as a society? Moreover, if we create habits that give us permission to turn away from others with whom we disagree, will we have the civic impulse and fortitude to turn toward others who need our help and support?

Isn’t this one of the key underlying questions in the health care debate today? It’s easy to engage in a political debate about various legislative options, but it is yet something else to remain focused on the essence of this discussion: how can all Americans get the care they need? Amid all the chatter we can easily lose the target.

I have chosen to write this particular piece on Thanksgiving week because giving thanks means looking up from our own chair and seeing others sitting around the table with us and being grateful for what we have. But Thanksgiving also means that we have the ability to look up and see beyond our immediate table to see others in our society as well – especially those who may be hidden from our sight, or who voice opinions that differ from our own.

I am not suggesting that you or I necessarily agree with Sarah Palin on political matters or anything else. But what I am saying is that we should remind ourselves that giving thanks requires us to see and hear all people so that we may create a better society. By definition, this will always require engaging with those we do not agree with. How else can a society take shape, exist, and forge ahead?