Matthew Scully is writing Palin's speech tonight

[XemaSab]

And who is Matthew Scully?

Matthew Scully wrote the excellent book "Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy."

Anyone who is interested in animal welfare or the Christian call to stewardship should read this book.

In some ways, the book is similar to Peter Singer's "Animal Liberation," but Scully approaches the topic from a completely different philisophical perspective than Singer. Scully argues that animals are God's creation, and God did not give us stewardship of the creation just so we could treat animals as experiments or kill them for sport. In short, we should not treat animals in a way that does not respect their essential dignity as creatures of God.

Natalie Angier, in her New York Times review of the book, said "Dominion is a horrible, wonderful, important book. It is horrible in its subject, a half-reportorial, half-philosophical examination of some of the most repugnant things that human beings do to animals.... The book is wonderful in its eloquent, mordant clarity, and its hilarious fillets of sanctimonious cant and hypocrisy.... Dominion is important in large measure because the author, an avowed conservative Republican and former speechwriter for George W. Bush, is an unexpected defender of the animals against the depredations of profit driven corporations, swaggering, gun-loving hunters, proponents of renewed 'harvesting' of whales and elephants and others who insist that all of nature is humanity's romper room, to play with, rearrange, and plunder at will.... This is a beautiful book, and a balm to the scared, lonely animal in us all."

A large part of the book is about trophy hunting, and treating magnificent animals such as elephants, giraffes, and lions as just another conquest for the hunter.

Why is this relevant tonight?

Because Sarah Palin, both as a person and as a governor, has participated in and advocated the kind of slaughter for sport that Scully decries in his book. She's killed caribou and moose, she has a grizzly bear hide on her office sofa and a wolf pelt on her office wall, and she has previously defended the "sport" of shooting bears and wolves from helicopters.

Matthew Scully started writing this speech before she became the nominee, and I can't imagine he isn't appalled. I know I would be.

[cwydro]

1. Shooting from helicopters

is beyond cowardice.

It is despicable.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. My head just exploded. n/t

[Eric J in MN]

3. How do you know he's writing it? NT

NT

[XemaSab]

4. Huffington Post, among other sources

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/03/palin-prepares-speech-for_n_123476.html?page=2

[cwydro]

5. So WHY is he writing it? nt

[XemaSab]

6. He started writing it before they had picked a candidate

:shrug:

[cwydro]

8. Well, he could opt out. nt

[XemaSab]

18. I think his speech is the property of the party

:shrug:

[flvegan]

7. All I can say is...nobody's perfect.

He IS a Republican, and he is a writer. I'm sure he's personally torn, but he's going to do his job as he's professionally expected to. Unfortunately.

[XemaSab]

11. I tried to respond and it didn't go through

I think Dominion was a better book than Animal Liberation.

/blasphemy

[flvegan]

12. Scully is a better writer than Singer.

Dominion was also a MUCH easier read than AL.

[XemaSab]

14. I felt like Singer was trying to beat you into his position

whereas with Scully there was much more of an appeal to reason. I think Singer's argument is ultimately weaker for that, too. Which is funny, because Singer's the philosopher and ethicist.

[Mimosa]

9. Scully is writing it apparently: link here

Palin's speechwriter:

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2008/09/by_amy_silverman_shes_from.php

I am starting to hate the bitch Palin, the more I learn about her. :cry Shooting animals from a helicopter. How much meaner can it get?

[sammytko]

24. pulled wolf cubs out of their dens

and shot them...

[NJmaverick]

10. Just remember that he is still a Republican

which means he has plenty of experience selling his soul for the good of the party.

[Critters2]

13. What the fuck?!!! How do you know?!! nt

[livetohike]

15. K + R n/t

[progressivebydesign]

16. And the speech was written for a MAN, and he is having to change it.

Please K&R this thread because I want the starry eyed trolls who come here to be VERY CLEAR that Caribout Barbie did NOT write the words she is saying tonight. It's getting on my last nerve that the media is pushing this speech... like Palin is "fighting back" against her critics and, the biggest media whores will say that the speech was magnificent, and transformational, and that she "hit a grand slam", and bullshit like that.. when in FACT, SHE did not write the words she is going to say.

The point that this speech was started before she even came along needs to be FRONT AND CENTER on the blogs tonight and tomorrow.

[XemaSab]

17. .

:thumbsup:

[depakid]

19. Courageous Alaskan wolf hunters

I wonder how well Scully's going to sleep tonight?

[LSK]

20. every other word out of their mouth is a lie

So it would not shock me if she said something about animal cruelty.

[XemaSab]

21. Every other word?

"And... the... but... moreover... however..."

Those are the true and accurate words? :P

[Pushed To The Left]

22. It would be something if he screwed up her speech on purpose! n/t

[Critters2]

23. Heard this from a friend on christianveg. Stunning.

I thought he had a conscience. Do they surgically remove those when you join the GOP?