Sarah Palin: A Fresh Voice

By LIBBY YOUNG
UNLEASHED STAFF

Sarah Palin is a fresh choice for the vice presidency.
She has experience in politics in Alaska, but would be a new face in Washington, D.C., and bring new perspective to our country.
She is also someone with whom average Americans can identify. Because of this, she would be a solid representative of the American people as the second-in-command of the United States.
Alaska is the country’s largest state. And Palin was the state’s first female and youngest governor. Running Alaska is an immense responsibility, one that Palin has taken on and done well.
She has been involved in other leadership roles, too. She’s a former chairwoman of Alaska’s State Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and she served as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, from 1996 to 2002.
She would be able to draw on these experiences as vice president and make well-thought out and better decisions because of it.
Palin has had tough ethical standards for politicians in her own state and has a reputation of not tolerating unethical behavior.
As a working mother of five, she balances spending time with her family and her job, and has to deal with the same family-related issues that other Americans face. She cares about what the average American thinks about the biggest family issues of today.
And she backs up her political beliefs through her own actions. When she learned her youngest son would likely be born with Down syndrome, she still chose to have him and not to get an abortion, backing her own anti-abortion political beliefs.
Palin is for the United States becoming energy independent, which is a big issue in this election. She considers it to be a matter of national security to make sure our country is an energy independent nation. She supports domestic drilling and increased refinery production.
Palin brings new hope and a strong commitment to conservative ideals. She offers a real change from the Washington, D.C., insiders that America is used to seeing in national politics.
Palin is sensitive to the country’s need for energy independence and our national security issues. She has an intolerance for corruption regardless of political party, a strong personal faith and the courage to back up her beliefs through her personal actions.
She offers the country a true voice for change, while still being grounded in her conservative ideals.

— Libby Young is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. She attends La Salle High School.