the design conservative | tdc

mark ballas and bristol palin: class acts

For those of us who keep track of the media and hype surrounding Governor Sarah Palin and her family, this past week has been one for the record books.  Not only has the former governor been the victim of illegal acts (the website Gawker publishing unauthorized excerpts from her upcoming book), but Bristol Palin has seen her appearance on the fun show Dancing With The Stars turned into another object of scorn from the haters who seems to take pleasure in denigrating her family.

FEAR AND LOATHING…AND ABSOLUTELY NO SHAME

Bristol Palin’s appearance in the finale of Dancing With The Stars, alongside her partner, Mark Ballas, has sparked the ire of the outspoken liberal Left, as well as supposed “fans” of the show who deem her to be unworthy of a presence in these last two episodes of the season.

The thought that a Palin would have the chance to participate in, and excel at, a fun and challenging endeavor like ballroom dancing is simply too much for some people to handle.  One look at the online forums or comment sections of many left-leaning or entertainment websites reveals a degree of mean-spirited hate speech that has become de rigueur when it comes to the Palin family.

Sadly, it seems not to matter in the least that, in this instance, the object of this contempt is a 20-year-old single mother who has endured a loss of privacy and more public pain and heartache than most of us is likely to experience in a lifetime.  Heaven forbid this kid - yes, in many was, she’s still a kid - would want to take a break from the serious political world in which she lives to spend three months learning how to dance…

Through all of this, though, Bristol Palin has risen above the fray and continued to move forward.  In front of God and everyone, as the saying goes, she has subjected herself to endless hours of practice and pressure-filled evenings of live performance on a world stage.  All the while with a smile on her face.

Similarly, it cannot go unsaid that Mark Ballas, the professional dancer with whom Bristol has been teamed, has proven himself to be a gentleman of the highest order - defending his friend and partner, and never failing to note his appreciation for the kindness and kinship he feels for the Palins and their extended family and friends.

Indeed, it is Mark’s obvious strength of character that has sparked this post. 

GRATITUDE

Every week throughout the Dancing With The Stars season, Mark has penned a diary of sorts, reflecting on the past week and previewing the dances to come.  Today’s journal entry is, in many ways, particularly moving, and deserves sharing here:

I am so thankful to be on a show that millions of people are able to release the pressures of their everyday life while allowing us to entertain them. That really is a performer’s dream and goal, to whisk the audience away on a journey where they lose themselves and their troubles for a moment. Thanks to you all. You are the treasure in our success!

As for Bristol, she knows how thankful I am to call her my partner and friend. What Bris doesn’t know is how thankful I am for what she has taught me this season. It can be summed up in two words: determination and respect. Everyone goes through his or her own version of pain and endurance issues on the show — both the celebs and the dancers. Some pain is physical, for others it’s the pain of stress, and for some it’s the pain of having your life taken away from you as you prepare each week.

Bristol deals with a special pain of having people wanting and hoping for her to fail and dealing with hate issues no one should ever have to encounter. But probably her greatest source of pain is hearing what is said about her son. Fortunately, she has this miraculous way of dealing with it and focusing on getting better each week and proving to herself, that despite all that noise, she is a woman to be respected.

Our country was built on people taking advantage of the basic freedom to do everything in our power to excel with the God-given talents with which we have been blessed. During this season, I’ve seen firsthand how those rights shouldn’t be taken for granted, much less allowing others to take that basic human right away from you. Thank you, Bristol, for helping me understand how important that freedom is.

Like many of us who have spent the last two years getting to know the Palin family from afar, gleaning what we can of who they are - via a handshake at a book-signing or conversations with Palin family friends - Mark Ballas now seems to understand the magnitude of what this average American family must contend with on a daily basis.

Yes, Governor Palin is an outspoken political figure who doesn’t mince her words. But, Bristol?  She’s just a young mother who wanted to do something different.  All she wanted was to learn how to dance…

TRIUMPH

Tomorrow night, I (and millions of others) will be more excited than ever to cheer Bristol Palin on.  I hope she dances better than ever.  And I hope she receives an unprecedented ovation from the studio audience.  Most importantly, though, I hope these last two nights of dancing are the joyful experience Bristol and Mark deserve for their hard work and inspiring conduct throughout the season.

Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas are both class acts.  When the curtain closes on their final performance - whenever that might be - they deserve nothing less than our utmost respect for a job well-done.

- tdc

*Vote for Bristol and Mark online at abc.com, call 1-800-868-3407, or text “Vote” to 3407 (AT&T customers only).