The Rise of the Mama Grizzlies

Awesome new ad from SarahPac.

Having had the privilege of being raised by a Mama Grizzly who instilled an interest in politics and a love of freedom in me from an early age, it is a thrill to witness the rise of the conservative woman now taking place nationwide. Recently, in my Fabulous Female Patriots post, I acknowledged the activist women I’ve befriended on Facebook and other social media sites for their noteworthy efforts, and my sheer gratitude for their presence in my life.

After years of feeling like an outsider — an anomaly known as a “pro-life, pro-capitalism, pro-US Military Republican woman” among the majority of left-leaning females who comprised my work, social and business-networking circles, there is at last some vindication. Women who share my traditional values and belief in the USA are now not only vocal, they’re winning elections at the local, state and national levels. And Sarah Palin is leading the way.

Whatever my negative feelings about John McCain  — based on valid grievances like his push for amnesty, McCain-Feingold, Gang of 14, etc., along with his distasteful habit of rarely missing an opportunity to poke conservatives in the eye — I will forever be thankful to him for selecting Sarah Palin as his running-mate. Thanks to McCain, Palin has a national stage, a far-reaching sphere of influence that enables her to obstruct Obama’s radical agenda with one devastating Facebook note. And since there are few male elephants of prominence with the gonads to take on this America-hating administration, I shudder to think about how dire the situation would be right now, absent Sarah Palin’s critically important voice.

And the more I think about it, the more my mom was way ahead of her time. An unapologetic conservative to the core, she raised my siblings and me (three brothers and a sister) to believe in ourselves, embrace the opportunities afforded to us by this great nation, respect our military, work hard, pray to God, take responsibility for our actions and strive to be people of integrity.  She also instilled in us a timeless morality code, pretty nonplussed by notions like “keeping up with the times” and the so-called sexual revolution.

And boy was she ever a protective Mama Bear! During childhood, my mom intervened on more than one occasion on my behalf, whether it was dressing down a nun (yes, you read that right) who picked on me for being a “rich doctor’s daughter”, or — upon noticing a marked change in my usually happy-go-lucky, ten year-old disposition as a result of verbal bullying on the part of some nasty 4th grade girls — brought it to the attention of the school principal (a fair-minded nun, who promptly followed up on the matter).

Politically, she was also active, hosting countless township meetings at our home; volunteering on local, state, and national campaigns; serving in the local Republican Party, and eventually putting in a few terms as a committeewoman. All of this in addition to running a home, managing the books for my dad’s medical office, chauffeuring kids to various activities and sporting events,  serving as president of Home & School Association; and being involved in the Physicians’ Wives Auxiliary.

My mother didn’t have to shout, I am woman, hear me roar. Much like Sarah Palin and the new Mama Grizzlies, she just did it. Come to think of it, she was way ahead of Nike, too. And unlike the alleged feminists of the 60s, she didn’t need to conduct herself like some sort of overheated tramp in the name of “liberation”. Nor did she view motherhood and marriage as a ball-and-chain imposed by a “patriarchal” society.

Finally, let’s not forget that one of her beloved five children was a special-needs guy, you know the kind of baby that’s now aborted 90% of the time, and the same kind of baby Sarah Palin chose to give life. In both cases neither mother reacted by wringing their hands about the unfairness of it all (though they did shed some tears), nor did they banish their babies from “polite society”. And after having Ralph, my mom went on to give birth to three more children.

So today I thank God for my own original Mama Grizzly, and the Mama Grizzlies who are making their mark on the American political scene today. Though I’m not a “mama” myself, I am proud to be a part of the female contingent driving the Tea Party Movement, and I know that with strong, determined ladies like these, we WILL take our country back!