I really was headed off to bed – and I thought to check just one more email before I did. An acquaintance had emailed me yesterday asking my opinion of Sarah Palin – did I know her? What did I think? What did I know?

My reply was to the point, and honest. My main comment to my friend was the same you’ve seen here before and will see here again – I tell no one how to vote, I simply ask that you do vote and that you do it with wisdom and education.

When I checked that email address a few minutes ago, my friend had sent me a copy of the Kilkenny letter – something that a resident of Wasilla had sent to her family and friends while asking them not to forward it on to anyone.

What? She asked them not to forward it on.

Come on, people, you KNOW that is exactly the type email that will be forwarded – ad nauseum. The letter was written 8-29. It is at the top of the g****e searches for Kilkenny letter. It is expanding at a VIRAL rate.

So, why am I even mentioning it here? After all, we’ve already agreed that I am not going to tell you how to vote, right?

But, please, I have to repeat her fourth reason for having written the note: “Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996 . . .”

Can we say pettiness to the extreme?

I live in small town Alaska. My town is probably about the same size or a tad smaller than Wasilla. We, too, are becoming a big box store kinda town, and no, I don’t like that much. But, contrary to what some would say, Wasilla becoming that kinda town is no more Sarah Palin’s fault than Kenai becoming one is any one mayor’s fault.

It’s likely partly MY fault because I sat back and let it happen – or didn’t fight harder so it wouldn’t happen. You know what I’m saying?

Some of you don’t know this about me . . . in the 90s I was TOTALLY immersed in small town politics. I (like Kilkenny claims about herself and Wasilla) – I attended EVERY borough assembly meeting, MOST every school board meeting and MOST city council meetings. I attended planning sessions and committee meetings. I said my piece. I took down names. I counted the votes. I got involved.

I EVEN ran for office at the borough level (we don’t have counties, we have boroughs). I actually WON once – and then lost it in the run-off that was required because neither I nor my nearest opponent garnered 40% of the votes as the borough requred. I lost the run-off by 32 votes! Gosh, no, I’m not bitter – really. I’ve seen my former opponent. He is now a FAT cat in the most literal of senses.

Alaska, while the biggest land mass state in the union, is still small town. In addition to our city and borough reps, we know our state senators and representatives by their first names. We go to school functions with them (used to be our kids were in school together, now it’s our grandkids), we go to church with them, we eat in the same restaurants. We know which of them got picked up for one too many DUI charges (driving under the influence). We know when their kids are hurting.

Most of us let each other live their lives and either pray for them or lend helping hands when they have a need. Most of us mind our own business.

Some of us are like Kilkenny. THOSE are the ones who make the newspaper headlines.

And, that is a sad thing – for Alaska – and for the union.

Now, you all go on and do the right thing. If you’ve been thinking about forwarding that letter, think twice, remember small town pettiness, remember how you would feel to have some of those things said about you. And remember most of all . . . untruths are often have just enough truth in them to make them that much more believable.
I’m just sayin’

‘night everyone.