Letter to the (half) Gov. Palin – From a ‘Peaceful NY’er to a Mama Grizzly

Dear Fmr. Gov. Palin,

Hi, my name is Zach Roberts. Like you, I work in TV. I’m usually the one behind the screen though with the camera. Y’know, like Michael Moore?

I came to Alaska to make a film about you. I’ve tried to stay on the down low, but after your last tweet I felt as though I needed to “repudiate” you. (It’s catchy, very Shakespearean… “Now is the winter of our ‘refudiation’ …Made glorious summer by this son of Palin)

Before I get to the tweet in question, I wanted to thank you for flipping the district that I grew up in. For decades NY 23 was a republican stronghold – you chose a candidate so rogue that the entire district voted for the Democrat. That was awesome, you ‘betcha. Just last week you endorsed a mama grizzly for NY 25, which is the district that I first voted in, she’s not doing well in the polls. We just got our first Democrat in a long time, Dan Maffei, the people in Syracuse like him a lot. Since then I moved to work for a journalist in New York City, every fire station near where I lived has a plaque on the front of the building with the names of the people lost on September 11th, 2001. NY’ers love their firefighters and first responders – even Rudy Ramadan, a Muslim-American first responder. Rudy set up triage centers and almost died in the attacks.

It seems like you’re following me…are you following me on twitter? Should I take this personal? I hope you’re not taking me being here personal, I’m just a guy looking for a good story, you went to school for journalism, you should understand that.

I’ve been here for about a month, following your amazing story by talking to the interesting people at the Mudflats that wrote about you during those short two years that you were Governor. (You do know that a state governor is supposed to serve 4 right? Two year terms are how long congressmen serve. Just wanted to make sure you know that.) I’ve heard that Gov. Parnell is doing quite good though continuing your rogue-tastic legacy. He’s even got campaign yard signs that are just like yours. (I think he might have a crush, maybe he’ll follow in your foot steps and only serve two years).

I’m new to your state, I like it so much that I just might stay. I met a friend of your’s, Hollis French, he’s cool. I might vote for him if I stay here.

So let me just take off my directors hat (don’t worry, it’s a baseball cap, not one of those pretentious French beret things) and get to the point. I’ll talk to you as a and talk to you as a peaceful New Yorker to a peaceful mama grizzly.

Your tweets:

Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn’t it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate

“Peaceful New Yorkers, pls refute the Ground Zero mosque plan if you believe catastrophic pain caused @ Twin Towers site is too raw, too real,”

“Peace-seeking Muslims, pls understand, Ground Zero mosque is UNNECESSARY provocation; it stabs hearts. Pls reject it in interest of healing.”

I gotta say, Gov. I’m not from NYC originally but this really gets my hackles up.

You and your friends in the Tea Party have taken on this planned religious center (it’s NOT a mosque) that is near the World Trade Center site as an obsession. Did you know that there’s already a mosque 2 blocks away? It’s been there for years. (http://www.masjidmanhattan.com) I’ve seen it, (have you?) my friend, a party planner used to do burlesque shows at the bar next door. Never had any problems.

Also I want to express one more time to you and all the people who come to disaster tour “ground zero”, we call it the World Trade Center site. Calling the WTC site ground zero would be like calling Bligh reef, ground zero of the spill. We choose to remember it’s greatness, and be respectful to the people that gave their lives for others. Many of them, like Rudy were Muslim.(http://www.themudflats.net/2010/07/18/refudiating-palins-racist-tweet/). Please make up a new word for forgiveness and respect. Something that you have none of.

Why don’t you move to New York, I’ve got a great broker you can talk to. Live there for a bit and find out how peaceful NY’ers are to you. I ‘betcha they’ll ‘refudiate’ you all the way back to Wasilla.

Finest kind,
Zach Roberts, born and raised in NY State.

If you’re like me and annoyed from Sarah’s twits please respond with action. The Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation is trying to raise $250,000 for 500 air purification systems. First responders are still feeling the pain of helping – please go to http://www.FFCancer.org