Far More Than "Bitter": Message from a Small Town Pennsylvanian

I am one of the "bitter" people living in a small steel town in Pennsylvania. My father passed away from the silt that he swallowed for forty years. My husband is withering away from the same cancer-causing dust he swallowed for nearly forty years too. The bills are mounting and our income decreasing. The blood, sweat and tears were not counted when they sent our small town livelihood over seas.

No one stepped in to give affordable health care to my disappearing husband. No one took the time to look at the dying towns that surround us. Hillary Clinton went to her middle class supporters and glanced, as all before her did, at the For Sale signs from foreclosures, and the growing homeless population in Pennsylvania.

I watched her do an Irish dance as she pressed the flesh of what is left of our so-called middle class, who may soon to become the new poor. Where is our Governor, who I am very disappointed in? Somewhere dancing with Hillary and looking at the subtle segregation that has quietly existed in this state -- and no one tries to bring about change.

Barack Obama sees us, he sees the poverty dressed up in lambs clothing. All around, people have downsized their lives because they don't earn a decent living wage after having made three, four or more times as much in the factories and mills that are nearly gone -- but not forgotten.

Looking out from most windows in every small town, they can see the skeletal remains of their once flourishing hometown. There are many that have stood by graves, and in unemployment lines, and watched their schools close, and fought to keep their homes -- and lost.

"Bitter" is a good word, to describe some of what I feel -- but "mad as hell" are a few better words.

On another note, I have a son that is on his way to Iraq for his third or forth tour. I am not only mad but scared. Why am I frustrated with Washington politics? That is a question that everyone that voted for Bush twice should be ashamed to answer. They have only to look into the mirror and see the cause of our frustration.

I am also saddened to watch the campaign tactics, the bashing and bruising of one another -- and the media putting their own twist on everything. Each candidate has to be dead tired and frustrated with the millions of opinions they face -- favorable and unfavorable -- everyday on this trying trail to the White House.

If you want to twist someone's words, try twisting Bush's and run a clean campaign.

I'm a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and soon to be a great grandmother who wants a positive change for America. Within the past forty-odd years I have told my children and grandchildren they can be anything they want to be. They were raised in a generation where black people were told education would help you become anything you desire. Those words were just hope with limits. The day I cast my vote for Barack Obama, that hope will be a reality with absolutely no limits. Thank God that I am alive to see Dr. King's dream come to fruition, and still young enough to appreciate and share it.

Comments

[momintexas]

Thanks, Marylee. I am from Western Pa myself, although I moved away many years ago. Your post gives me faith in the people of Pa. I was beginning not to recognize the state of my birth after listening to media reports of the last weeks. I know there are many folks like you there who are good and can see through the distortions and distractions. God bless you and your family.

[Parkstepp]

Great statement,Mrs Smithwick.­.....great thoughts..­...America has a lot to be bitter about.....we have been lied to ...and blinded by the constant false cover up of whats really happening in our country ....No we are not doing well....The whole world is stunned by our ignorance and arrogant ways..."God Bless America"?.­.Please...­.what do people think in other countries when they hear this statement....we have got to accept our current state of affairs ....Yes Mrs Smithwick...we are not doing well...and admitting it is the first step to healing ..I have a nephew who is returning to Iraq ,for the 4 th time.....I too am scared......and very frustrated with the backwardness of my country........Mr Obama is a new breed.....a new state of mind....a new way of thinking......as a country we now are at the cross road......this well may be the most important election in our history......The forces of Unity are moving through out the world....do we join it.....?....The old ways of doing things are over........I mean over...nothing will work now if it goes against Humanity become the Family That it is.......One Family.........One World.....One Creator.....period .......

[mariemburns]

Thank you for taking the trouble to write your touching & heart-rending post, Mrs. Smithwick. Please be assured that it isn't only Barack Obama who cares for you & your family, but all of us millions who are voting for him & who put our hopes in the dream of one America, an America that solves problems rather than creates them, an America that care for those who fall on hard times & an America that lifts up all of us. This is our darkest hour since the Civil War & Reconstruction, but I think we can rise again to become a responsible & respected nation. The fabric is there; it's just a little tattered right now.

[thisoldbroad]

Thank you for sharing your courage & honesty Marylee.

I will not sit quietly by & just feel bad about the way our country is being led by elected officials ever again. From our small town Mayors to our President & everyone in between - there needs to be change. MANY CHANGES..

The way we do business locally & globally.
The way our politicians debate issues in such a venomous partisan way.
The tax breaks for companies that ship jobs out of the country.
Employers replacing full time benefitted employees with contracted/part time workers.
The tax breaks for companies that pollute the environment.
Not enforcing worker safety & health issue violations by employers.
Government contracting out enforcement & security positions.
Bankruptcy laws that prohibit predatory credit card debt.
Suspicious earmarks with our tax $$.
Insurers who deny coverage arbitrarily with no penalties.
People who fully support this war - as long as it's not their kids fighting & they don't have to pay for it.
Spending billions of dollars on "homeland security" with nothing to show for it. Our ports of entry, borders & nuclear power plants no more protected than in 2000.
Etc, etc..

I am a very disappointed republican & the democratic party doesn't have all the answers either. Senator Obama has the diplomatic skills so lacking in the other candidates. He will run the non partisan White House we so desperately need.

For all the Marylee's across the country, it's time we all stepped up to the

[lefthandedrn]

I, too, shed a tear after reading your post. My heart goes out to you and your family> I pray for your son's safe, healthy return. Soon, soon our nation will be in good hands. Barack Obama is a true man and I think God has given him the gift of solutions along with his gentleness.

[era996]

Obama will not win. Even if by any miracle he does, he will W look good.
You can judge the man by the company he keeps. As for change, yea with teddy and kerry it will be change allright.
You koolaid drinkers, will be crying and posting in here posts blaming Hillary for four more years of Bush.
I can see your pathetic posts after your move on darling get trounced.

[U4IA]

Have you no decency? On top of raining on another post, why must some people use the "kool-aid" reference to attmept to get a point across? Are you aware of where this term comes from? If not, do yourself a favor and look it up.

Show some respect for yourself so that you may show some for others.

[demdekalb]

Did you wash down your kool-aid with Crown royal?

[mdargo]

Why can’t Obama say that he himself frequently uses the word “cling” when personally describing himself? In fact, he used it in his 2004 book when writing about his own personal frustrations with American politics: “Throughout my years in Springfield, I clung to the notion that politics could be different, and that the voters wanted something different.” “Clung” is used here just as “cling” was in SF. It was not a put down. It’s how BHO talks about himself!!

[darwinfish]

Thank You for such a great post.

[LeftLeftLeft]

I went into my precinct caucus a John Edwards supporter. I left on Hillary's team, as John had now become a non-candidate. But Barack has stepped up to the plate and seems to have a good idea how and where to hit the ball. . . .

It hasn't been fun living on a limited income, watching my expenses rise, unable to squeeze much more out of my meager assets, watching Bush's smirk and shoulder shrugs, Cheney's jeer with the saliva dripping from his chin, and wondering if we will survive long enough for a new President to take us away from this ill-fated trip down "Oil-profits Lane."

I hope for you and me that we DO survive and that Barack CAN deliver the leadership and vision and compassion that have been nearly drained from our materialistic, greedy and short-sighted nation.

And prayers for your son . . . that he not become a number like my brother did in Vietnam . . .

[remc]

Ma'am, I was born and raised in a town not too far from you, and I visit pretty often. I know just how it is, and I too believe that Barack "gets it".

All the best to you and your family.

[ddlrid]

Thank you for your deeply moving post, Mrs. Smithwick.

[NABNYC]

MaryLee: really sorry to hear about your father and husband, and good luck to your son. It is bizarre how the politicians treat us as if we're all stupid, or senile. They fly into town on their corporate friends' private jets, show up late somewhere and stand up on a stage and tell stupid jokes, and talk about how wonderful they are, and they "understand," and they're going to help, then they leave. And do nothing.

I share your view of the devastation in recent decades, the losses, the crushing of working people, and I too have seen too many people die from work-related illnesses and lack of healthcare. Not to mention those are trying to make do with 1/3 or less of the wage they used to get, before their job got sent to be done by slave labor.

I also share your hope that Obama, who really is a product of the working people, single mom, financial struggles, hard times most of his life, actually does understand and care, and he will try to change things to help all of us. So good luck to you and your family, and drag everyone you know out to vote for Obama.

[batchick]

According to Hillary Clinton, you should be "resilient and optimistic." What? You're not?!?! But why???

Who's the real "elitist???"

[chumleypotts]

I am also a small town Pennsylvanian, and I must agree, there ain't an overabundance of jobs out there, thanks in part to ever-changing technology , the NAFTA disaster, and the punishing tax system we have here. If I have learned anything though, it is that no politician's promises of hope, change, dreams, blue skies and tax relief should be believed by anyone. I have had my ups and downs in life, and realized many years ago that the only person I could rely on was me, not some candidate who will promise the moon and the stars in order to get elected.

[larry278]

Ms Smithwick, you & the people in your town & in Pa have earned your right to be, "...mad as hell...". Since I live in Pa & support Barack Hussein Obama, I hope that our fellow Pennsylvanians will follow your lead & vote for Sen Obama. To be crude: the shit that's pissing you off & has made you mad as hell has to cease, right now.
This country has been throwing people away since the Korean war's cease fire took effect. This country owes you, your family, your neighbors & the rest of the people the USA has thrown away big time. The USA's bill is way over due. W's day late & a dollar short policies won't do by a damn sight.
l lynch

[jcwtts1]

I've been reading the Huffington Post this entire election cycle. Your blog tonight is the reason why. A truthful heart wrenching account of life and communities over the last 25 years. Obama said it wrong but he didn't lie.

J

[forsmokey]

Thank you Mrs. Smithwick for getting it right about the way a lot of us are feeling. I hope this encourages many more of our generation to stop remaining marginalized and to speak out using newspapers, blogs, and yes even YouTube.
Best wishes to you and your family.
White Haired Women For Barack Obama you rock!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpDTvlSd0x4