Saturday, September 14, 2013

America's Real Problem with Sarah Palin

A Rolling Eyes Column! ((0) (0))

Sarah Palin's problem with America begins with their knowledge of Alaska—which remains nearly nonexistent. Do Americans even conceive of Alaska as a state? They take world-class cruises there, but how many would choose to live there? Polar bears are more than photo ops. How many Americans from the mainland have met a moose, and would know what to do with it, if they did? Grizzlies remain a mainstay of horrific journalistic reports about being savaged. Californians don't want to negotiate with cougars. What would they do in Alaska?

This comparison comes to mind as we await the coming winter in Western New York State. Last winter was a push-over, meaning there was little snow here to push anywhere. That observation has been true, though, for only the last two winters here. In far winters past, I used to watch the weather reports here, right along with those from Canada and Alaska. There was remarkably little difference. I still stock up on parkas, and am well accustomed to listeners from other regions sneering at my accounts of winter snowfall in Cassadaga, NY—beyond their wildest dreams, democrat or otherwise.

Inevitably perhaps, I have been accused of exaggeration, melodrama—the usual for natives of The Land of the Snow Queen, where winter once lasted from Halloween to Easter. But who else has taken a fly-over in a tiny plane which landed on skiis in their front yard? Have they started out for college—and found their trip lasted three days, not three hours, due to a blizzard? Have they tried to get out their front door—and found the snow meeting midway between roof and ground? Americans need to know their national neighbors, even those in Alaska—or Dunkirk, wherever that may be, if the Farmer's Almanac prediction is accurate this year.


And, yes, bears have been seen in Cassadaga. ((0) (0)) 

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