Sandpoint Idaho

In my post, "The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness," which is the state motto of Hawaii by the way, I claimed that Sarah Palin was born in Alaska. In her comment to the post "Techno-hassle," Carolyn M correctly points out that Palin was actually born in Sandpoint, Idaho, a change in location that does not move her out of the mythic West but deserves consideration on its own merits.

Idaho is a rugged state with some of the largest natural areas in the United States. The wild Snake River runs through Hells Canyon, the deepest canyon in the country. Rich in natural resources, the state nickname is "The Gem State." 

Sandpoint is a small town in northern Idaho, roughly forty miles from Hayden Lake, the location of the Aryan Nation compound. As far as I know, Palin has not been associated with white supremacist groups. They are an interesting example of the extreme element of the mythic West however, iconoclasts intent upon realizing an Adamic, natural-human-before-the -Fall, purity. The awesome size and grandeur of the American West has invited metaphorical comparison to the Garden of Eden for over a century and the Mormons found a "promised land" there, relatively free of persecution.

Thanks for the correction Carolyn.