Sarah Palin's Speech Written by Animal Advocate Matthew Scully
Grizzly bear in Alaska. Sarah Palin supports the aerial gunning of wolves and bears.
Photo by Getty Images.
I was very disappointed to learn that Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention had been written by Matthew Scully, the author of Dominion. While a blogger for the Christian Science Monitor seemed puzzled by the pairing, an animal advocacy blogger wrote a blistering condemnation of Scully and those in the animal movement who have aligned themselves with Scully over the years.
Scully's 2002 book was considered momentous. Here was a Republican speech writer making the case for animal welfare from a Christian perspective in a best-selling mainstream book. PETA gave Dominion its Book of the Year award in 2003. I even included it in my timeline of the modern animal rights movement.
Animal issues cross party lines. The animal rights community includes people of all political persuasions and Scully could have written a speech for any of hundreds of politicians with strong, mediocre or weak animal protection records, and animal advocates would not have cared. But Scully chose to write for the most anti-animal politician since Richard Pombo was unseated in 2006.
Sarah Palin's animal rights record is abysmal, and Scully's decision to work with her is a sucker punch to everyone who read and loved Dominion.
***September 14, 2008 update: It now appears that Scully started writing the VP candidate's speech before McCain announced Palin as his running mate and presumably before Scully knew who would deliver the speech. Still, I have to wonder what he would have done if he had known from the start that the speech was for Palin. And I wonder if Scully had any way of backing out once he heard that Palin had been chosen.Links:
- "Flaws" in Human Nature, From One Possible Christian Perspective
- Palin's Cheerful, Happy Warrior Speech: Taxes, Lies and Half-Truths
- Environmentalists Blast McCain’s Choice of Palin as VP
- Enough with the Beauty Queen Already! There's More to Sarah Palin
- Sarah Palin on 10 Major Issues
Comments
I appreciate the details of this post for two reasons:
It was apparent Palin didn’t write the speech herself, although many have claimed she composed most of it. The prose was too finely crafted and indicated a good mind behind the words. I knew Scully had a hand in it, but how much wasn’t clear.
Scully’s speech is an ideal example of a moral dilemma. Obviously, he has to make a living, and when he’s not paid as a hired gun he’s writing about that which moves him. And that’s how his book came to be. But where does his social conscience reside? Does he rationalize that he’s paid for his words, but unless his name is on them (as in a book) he can just say, “it was a job that I was hired to do”?
What is our obligation to that which we believe in? Can we take with one hand and give away with the other?
He must have realized he’d sacrifice his good standing with the animal rights community if he wrote this speech for her, so what was his thought process in going down this path?
I can’t say if he’s wrong or right, because I’m not standing in his shoes. But does he have any regrets?
Both parties will have to wake up to this issue if they want the young vote. I work with young children (7 to about 15) and the two issues they are most concerned about is the environment and animal welfare. I doubt that will change much in the next decade, and these kids will be voting very soon.
Wow. Thanks, Doris. I, too, had wondered who wrote the speech.
What is his role with the RNC? Or is he working for McCain’s campaign?
Kathy, I’m not sure if this was a one-off, or if Scully is going to be a fixture in the McCain/Palin campaign. The writer of this article in Time seems to think it would be a good idea for Palin and Scully to continue working together:
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1838808,00.html
I’m disgusted by Governor Sarah Palin’s treatment of wildlife and the environment! The film footage of aerial hunting of Alaskan wolves was very disturbing and sad. After seeing this footage, all I can think of when I see Ms. Palin on TV are those beautiful and proud wolves being shot down most likely in the prime of their lives. Most biology and wildlife experts believe that this type of hunting is unnecessary and cruel and are opposed to it unlike Ms. Palin.
Sarah Palin has a complete lack of compassion and concern for both wildlife and environment and isn’t get my vote this November!
I think Scully should have known better than to write Palin’s speech. And please, all of you Americans, don’t let this woman win, it would be bad news for animals and for the world itself, as she is a climate change denier. She’s horrendous.
SARAH PALIN’S SICK ANIMAL MURDER!
http://reportell.com/index.php?view=article&catid=35%3Apolitics&id=147&option=com_content&Itemid=61
Obama wants to continue the killing of innocent baby souls. You know, by riping them out of a womans body. Apparently 44 million babies dead aren’t enough. Will any of you that are so upset because the wolves in Alaska stand up for those 44 million against Obama?
Or are the wolves more important than the human baby souls.
Hypocrites that don’t care.. is that the ‘change’ you all want?
i disagree that it was a move against helping animals for Matthew Scully to write this speech. i think it was a great opportunity to open up a conversation with Sarah Palin which may lead to her reading Dominion. How great that would be. Also, thank God – the speech had references to hunting, so Matthew Scully’s involvement here can possible lead to something good. i don’t understand those who care about animals advocating that we stop communicating with those who aren’t there yet. i am about whatever will help animals the most. i think it was completely the right choice for Matthew Scully to write this speech. we don’t know what conversations went on behind closed doors.
i TOTALLY disagree that it was a bad move, against helping animals for Matthew Scully to write this speech. i think it was a great opportunity to open up a conversation with Sarah Palin which may lead to her reading “Dominion”. How great that would be. Also, thank God – the speech had NO references to hunting. do y’all not get it – if he had not written this speech it could have been dismal in the kind of sick praise i’ve other places for hunting when talking about Palin. so Matthew Scully’s decision for involvement here can possible lead to something good. i don’t understand those who care about animals advocating that we stop communicating with those who aren’t there yet. i am about whatever will help animals the most. i think it was completely the right choice for Matthew Scully to write this speech. we don’t know what conversations went on behind closed doors.
(sorry had to repost because somehow the unedited version about printed so here is the way it was suppose to print.)
i TOTALLY disagree that it was a bad move against helping animals for Matthew Scully to write this speech. i think it was a great opportunity to open up a conversation with Sarah Palin which may lead to her reading “Dominion”. How great that would be. Also, thank God – the speech had NO references to hunting. do y’all not get it – if he had not written this speech it could have been dismal in the kind of sick praise i’ve seen other places for hunting. so Matthew Scully’s decision for involvement here can possible lead to something good. i don’t understand those who care about animals advocating that we stop communicating with those who aren’t there yet. i am about whatever will help animals the most. i think it was completely the right choice for Matthew Scully to write this speech. we don’t know what conversations went on behind closed doors.
Haley,
Advocating for kindness to animals does not rule out kindness to humans but the exact opposite. It is not as if there is a limit to the amount of love or kindness you can demonstrate. — not sure where any kind of hypocrisy comes into play here.
I am pro-life. I don’t believe abortion should be legal. ALL life is sacred and kindness, love for ALL is the highest commandment.
It is how we treat the most innocent, defenseless and without a voice which I believe to be the most telling character insight.
Haley,
Advocating for kindness to animals does not rule out kindness to humans (born or unborn) but the exact opposite. It is not as if there is a limit to the amount of love or kindness you can demonstrate. — not sure where any kind of hypocrisy comes into play here.
I am pro-life. I don’t believe abortion should be legal. ALL life is sacred and kindness, love for ALL is the highest commandment.
It is how we treat the most innocent, defenseless and without a voice which I believe to be the most telling character insight.
I’m not sure what Mr. Obama’s position on killing wolves (or any other wildlife) is. However I do know he is personally responsible for blocking a bill that would have allowed doctors to give medical treatment to babies born alive after botched abortions. He listened to personal testimony from nurses who were only allowed to hold these babies for their short lives and watch them inhumanly suffer and fade away which often takes hours. Obama personally blocked the state bill even after wording was changed be the same as the Federal Bill which passed the US Senate unopposed (Both Hillary & Kerry voted in favor of the bill). I cannot vote for someone who has that little regard for human life. I also cannot imagine that someone who is not concerned with the humane treatment of newborn babies would somehow be concerned with humane treatment of animals.
Here are links to the full congressional testimony of some of these nurses- no spin added.
http://nobamanews.blogspot.com/2008/07/jill-staneks-full-testimony_05.html
http://nobamanews.blogspot.com/2008/07/allison-bakers-full-testimony.html
the federal law – no spin added
http://www.nrlc.org/ObamaBAIPA/BAIPAFederal.pdf
Jill Stanek is the nurse who took this issue to her state legislature. This is the link to her full report in Citizen Link (non-partisan)
http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000007034.cfm#
Take a good look at this link. I don’t know if the amount of insanity enveloping this country has been properly studied or reported on. http://www.vegsource.com/talk/top/ LOOK AT IT. Here is what you’ll find: “Obama is a muslim.” “Obama supports killing babies.” “I’m never visiting this site again because you’re voting for a democrat.” THIS IS WHAT AMERICA HAS TURNED INTO. When and how will this stop?