March 6, 2010 | 6:44 pm

Shabbat Shalom Sarah Palin

Posted by Ilana Angel

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Oh. My. God.  It’s been an interesting couple of days.  My blogs about meeting Sarah Palin have taken on a life of their own, and it’s both daunting and entertaining.  After this one, I’m getting back to blogging about important stuff, like The Bachelor!

My single and focused goal in life is to be a good mother.  At the core of who I am as a human being, that is the most important thing to me.  My son loves me.  He loves me because I am his mother, but of greater value, he likes and respects me.

I am a Canadian citizen.  I do not vote in the United States.  I am a human being who does not define myself by my political party.  I have strong opinions and beliefs of what I think is good for America.  I am certainly concerned about the country, particularly by how it impacts my son’s life. 

He is a young man and a future leader, mover and shaker of this amazing country.  I want him to have every opportunity to freely believe in what he wants, love who wants, and defend what he wants.  I am raising him to be a decent, kind, and proud American.  My son is a blessing to me, and to all those he will touch in his lifetime.

This Shabbat has been a day of reflection for me.  I have gone back and read my blogs about Sarah Palin.  At the risk of tooting my own horn, I must tell you, I think they are fabulous.  They are a clear look at who I am as a person, and I stand by them 100%. 

Imagine that we put two people in a room, and sit them next to each other in the dark.  They have the EXACT same worldview.  They believe in God.  They are of the same political party.  They eat the same things, like the same things, have the same accent, and dress the same way.  You could listen to them speak, and not be able to tell them apart.

It would be as if you were talking to the same person.  There would literally be no way to set them apart.  Two peas in a pod, or identical twins.  You agree with them, you love them, you get it, and you admire them for the conviction of their beliefs.

Imagine now that it is 1960, and we turn the lights on.  One is black and one is white.  They look at each other, and even after establishing that they are kindred spirits, they now hate each other.  They are unable to differentiate the color of their skin, from who they are as human beings.

Am I the only person that sees how wrong and sad that is?  Why is it, that just because I do not agree with Sarah Palin and her politics,  I need to hate her?  Who is so superior to think that it is okay to hate based on things that, on the most basic of levels, don’t really matter?

What a lovely world it would be if were able to define ourselves as people first.  Imagine the future we would be giving to our children, if being a good person, was more important than the color of our skin, or who we vote for.

What message are we giving each other, if we are able to hate each other for beliefs?  This week has made me sad.  Sad as a mother that there is so much hate in the world in which I am raising my son.  I met a cool lady, with killer boots and fabulous glasses, and because I liked her, I am hated.  Have we learned nothing from the history of the world?

I did not meet Sarah at a political rally, or in church.  We did not talk about politics or religion.  We met on the street, and had a random and lovely exchange as human beings.  There was no mention of anything of great importance, or national security.  We were just a couple of chicks, hanging out.

I am being called brave for writing the blog.  I am being hailed as a hero for not judging her.  I am being called a idiot for liking her.  I am being judged negatively for being kind.  Has the greatest country in the world become so polarized over this woman, that we have forgotten how great this country is?

There are moments in each of our lives where we have the choice to be kind and decent, or animals.  It is beyond crushing to me that this blog presented so many people with the chance to be kind, and instead inspired them to be animals.

If you take the time to read this blog, then share this message, and stop for a moment and think about what I am saying.  When we hate, we disrespect everything that this country stands for, and every person who laid down their life on our behalf.

Shabbat Shalom Sarah Palin.  To anyone who is reading this blog, take a deep breath, think about the future, remember the past, and keep the faith.