Julie's Web Journal

Barak Obama's "bitter" comments set of a firestorm of controversy over the weekend. Yep, I think he could have chosen his words a little better, but he has a point. Or rather, he may have been far too narrow in his speech.

A lot of us are bitter, Obama. In fact, we're mad as hell. Call it "bitter" if you like.

No, I don't "cling" to guns or religion. I am puzzled by those who sing their one-note tune as if the whole country is going to hell in a handbasket if they can't carry a gun where they want or force their religious views on others, or whatever. The truth is, this is a diverse country and solutions involve more than a single issue. So what if more people get religion? Then we'll be having arguments over which version of God we should worship. It'll never end.

All that fracas clouds the real issues. The rich get richer, and the poor and middle class get poorer. Executives chop jobs and pat themselves on the backs with multi-million dollar bonuses. In the meantime, energy and food prices spiral out of control. Cake, anyone? I hear it's really tasty.

I'm all for capitalism, but this isn't capitalism. It's broken.

Or how about an education system that insists that every child be ready for college - and they will enjoy it? Of course, college tuition ain't cheap. And what happens to the kids who don't want to go to college, can't afford it, or aren't college material? They either drop out or tough it out until graduation (if they pass the exit exam) with all the skills they need to flip burgers somewhere. And you wonder why we have so many working poor?

And speaking of working poor, how about all the uninsured, the under-insured, and even the well-insured who are one illness away from losing everything?

Bitter? Yeah. Every time we put another politician into office - any office - there's no real change. Sure, there are some who do strive for change, but they're squashed by the rest who want to keep the status quo. And the pundits wonder why people don't vote?

I get bitter watching my elected so-called leaders throw money at developers while the roads go to pot. Yes, we need a certain amount of development, but at what cost? We have a giant, state-of-the art chip manufacturing plant that has never opened. TI took a truckload of tax credits, but where are the jobs? And now the city is facing a budget shortfall. Who pays to make it up? We have a light rail station down the street. Residents can't park there because people from points north who pay no transit tax come to take the train into Dallas.

I do believe in God, but that belief isn't going to fix things. We have to do it.

Now, where to start?

Tags: Politics