"And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
I don't know about anyone else, but I have been fuming ever since I heard Barack Obama speak these words over the weekend. In case you've been under a rock and missed this whole brouhaha, Mr. Obama was answering a question while at a private fund-raising event about issues he sees with the working class. He answered by expressing his frustration over a lack of support from the working class and this was his reason why. As someone who was raised as part of the working class, I am here to tell you his comments couldn't be more wrong. And way to shoot yourself in the foot, Mr. Obama. If this "bitter" group of people had any plans of voting for you this election, I think you just sent them screaming toward Hillary Clinton or John McCain.
I'm not saying people aren't bitter. Hell, yeah, we're bitter. Our economy sucks, we spend $14 million dollars AN HOUR on the war in Iraq, all the good jobs are going overseas where the labor is cheap and our dollar isn't worth the paper it's written on. But to reduce that bitterness to one social class and say that is the reason they "cling" to guns and religion is absurd. I am personally offended that Mr. Obama thinks my only reason for turning to God is because I'm bitter. I've known people who have turned away from God because they were bitter, but never anyone who clung to Him because they were unhappy with their government. But to reduce my faith to something that trivial is maddening and offensive.
And what's this stuff with calling me anti-immigrant? Mr. Obama, I have to tell you, my husband is offended by that one. You see, he's Canadian. He came here on a work visa and we met a year later. Then we got married. So you see, I'm not anti-immigrant. If I was, I wouldn't be married to my husband. What I am is anti-illegal immigrant. My husband had to work hard (and spend a ton of money) to get his greencard. So I tend to get a little testy when I hear politicians talking about awarding citizenship and healthcare benefits to illegal immigrants. But am I anti-immigrant? Um, no. And believe it or not, there is a difference.
And for the record, I don't own a gun, Mr. Obama. I guess I'm just not bitter enough yet.
I'm not saying people aren't bitter. Hell, yeah, we're bitter. Our economy sucks, we spend $14 million dollars AN HOUR on the war in Iraq, all the good jobs are going overseas where the labor is cheap and our dollar isn't worth the paper it's written on. But to reduce that bitterness to one social class and say that is the reason they "cling" to guns and religion is absurd. I am personally offended that Mr. Obama thinks my only reason for turning to God is because I'm bitter. I've known people who have turned away from God because they were bitter, but never anyone who clung to Him because they were unhappy with their government. But to reduce my faith to something that trivial is maddening and offensive.
And what's this stuff with calling me anti-immigrant? Mr. Obama, I have to tell you, my husband is offended by that one. You see, he's Canadian. He came here on a work visa and we met a year later. Then we got married. So you see, I'm not anti-immigrant. If I was, I wouldn't be married to my husband. What I am is anti-illegal immigrant. My husband had to work hard (and spend a ton of money) to get his greencard. So I tend to get a little testy when I hear politicians talking about awarding citizenship and healthcare benefits to illegal immigrants. But am I anti-immigrant? Um, no. And believe it or not, there is a difference.
And for the record, I don't own a gun, Mr. Obama. I guess I'm just not bitter enough yet.
1 comment:
You Go Sherry! This was excellent!
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