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

[berensma]

This was a beautifully written post, Mrs. Smithwick. Thank you, and I hope you post again.

[KenBenobi]

I totally agree. Barack is teasing us a bit by putting an arrow in the heart of the issue and not following up with either a kill shot. He hit this thing dead center and the more the media-types sit and chew the fat for us, the more the thing gets twisted out of shape. I think the "restraint" Obama is showing is only missing a chance to knock it out of the park.

All I keep hearing from honest, hardworking folk is that what he said is true.

[architect]

Thanks for your thoughtful post. My hope for you is that Obama wins in November, your husband receives the same healthcare coverage afforded to members of congress while there's time to improve the quality of his life in his last decades, and your grandchildren move back to your small town to work in a clean, modern assembly plant making solar panels, or hydrogen fuel cells, earning excellent wages to support their families there in small-town Pennsylvania. There will be a market for these high-tech, clean energy products - not just here at home, but overseas as well. A HUGE market that still remembers when "American Made" actually meant something positive and spoke of high quality and cutting edge technology. And their kids will be able to go to progressive public schools that teach them tolerance and civics and prepare them effectively for the high-paying, stimulating American jobs of the mid century.

That's my wish for you, Marylee. Hang in there - it's just around the corner, sweetheart.

[jackbauer0396]

Thanks, Marylee, thanks for everything. Your sacrifice, your vote, absolutely everything. I can never know what it's like to really feel the pain of Bush's folly. You have. I pray for your son, Marylee, I hope we all do.

[rsottong]

My goodness, Mrs. Smithwick -- you need to keep writing. Powerful post. Please keep telling your story.

[lisakaz]

Awesome post. I hope your son stays safe the story overall has some bright days ahead for you. You've been thru a lot. I don't get these stoopid pundits on this point, either. Did they never listen to a Bruce Springsteen song or Billy Joel's "Allentown"? Sheesh.

[Desiderata]

those stupid pundits belong to the very out-of-touch elite they accuse Barack of .

[sfbayani]

I shed a tear when I read your post.
You are not - and will never be - alone.
I believe these are trying days for all of us.
Although miracles do not happen in a day,
with Senator Obama and all the people -
the unnamed, the unwashed, the more intelligent electorate
who will make the right choice this November -
we see the dawning of a new day.

We will persevere and we will conquer the
dark ghosts ot the Bushes and the Clintons!

Go Obama!

[chuckd74]

Really??? Come on now this is the best you got? LOL Dubbya and Hillary is to blame for your town falling apart? And your son's "third or fourth" tour in Iraq? Sounds like your son should have not voluteered for military service, it is called an all volunteer military for a reason be proud of your son for his service to the country.

Ohh and the whole "hope with limits" for african americans thing is just stupid, like Obama's wife finally being proud of America for the first time in her life. Screw the top notch college education and the beautiful home and fancy clothes, America has never offered her opprotunity before??? People are so unappreciative of what they really have.

[arglebargle]

Show a little respect, even if you disagree.

[ddlrid]

Goodness, but you are an absolutely rude & hateful person! You make no sense whatsoever and yet you have the nerve to be so dismissive of others. How shameful! I hope that you find your soul at some point in this lifetime..

[chuckd74]

No I am not rude and hateful I just think it's despicable to try to exploit your pain for a political agenda. I know many tragic cases but people work through them and thrive, a young woman I know at the age of 24 came home one day to find her mother dead in bed laying next to a shot gun. A year later she was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer and told her options were very limited. She never once used her mothers suicide to pander some crazy political agenda, she went to work everyday, she took care of her husband and children the best she could, and she kept every ounce of dignity she had. Despite her tragedy she never whined or complained or blamed the government, she was amazing and truely stood out as a beautiful person.

So am I rude ok maybe, but hateful? No I just think it's rude and pathetic to use this kinda stuff to promote an agenda. I found my soul have you?

[John]

"...it is called an all volunteer military for a reason be proud of your son for his service to the country."

What makes you think she is not proud of her son, you @sshole? It's rat b@stards like you, sitting comfortably on your fat @sses, safely behind your keyboards, who can be so dismissive of the concerns of those whose sons, daughters, husbands, wives, or parents are fighting in Iraq. I'll bet you don't personally know a single person consigned to that sh*thole of a war.

[AlphaDoc]

Well said, John.

[Sitco]

When the Rev Wright & race thing came up I I feared this issue would end Obama's campaign. Especialy when I saw the numerous blog-comments (very similar to this one) that proudly boasted and demonstrated such total lack of comprehension and/or unashamed ignorance,

I wondered if I really wanted Obama to be president because he had nothing to work with and could/would fail. Ignorant people simply work harder to remain ignorant than to quiet down, listen closely, think & understand and to learn and grow.

I'm back on Obama being president and trusting there is a brighter day ahead. That brighter and hope-filled day is possible because divisive, ignorant, ugly, insensitve reactions to an extremely heartfelt and honest point of view will finally be moved back to Crawford, TX forever.

[chuckd74]

Amen liberals do have a tendancy to talk alot blah blah blah, so instead of just saying these are ignorant posts please, please educate me.

Thats the whole problem right there you are so quick to use that term ignorant to anyone who does not agree with you, yet you do not even try to show us the light with any valid or substantiated argument.

And I am guessing you say my intial post is ignorant because the comment I made about the comment Obama's wife made. So if I am wrong show me how she has not had every opprotunity in America anyone else has had... see the thing is I work at a college and I come across many foriegn exchange students, last year we got one from africa she is studying to be a doctor, her father is a doctor, she makes more money working 20 hours a week than he does in a month she's been able to buy a car she's a honor roll student and still finds time to go to church 3 times a week.

It's called sacrafice and she thanks god everyday for the opprotunity America has given her as a black woman, which is beautiful to me she does not take for granted what so many of us do, liberals make me sick in this sense they do not appreciate what the world offers them, and thats sad.

[esaid]

Thank you for this and I wish you the best.

[AlphaDoc]

Thank you for your post, Ms. Smithwick. My thoughts will be with you, your son and the rest of your family as we, the people, struggle to survive the legacy George Bush will be leaving us. May you all stay safe and well, and may small towns like yours and mine (in NY) have our hopes rewarded with the election of Barack Obama as our next President.

[grendl]

No, you're not mad. And your not bitter.

Hillary says so. And she knows everything.

Thing is, Barack Obama needs to take the offensive now. No more of this bullshit wiping off the shoulders, turning the other cheek. Hillary, in not seeing your plight, has painted herself into a rose colored corner, but if he doesn't capitalize on it, he lacks the animal instinct necessitated in politics.

Its a golden opportunity for Barack Obama, and he touches on it, hitting singles up the middle occasionally but he needs to hit a homerun, with a line like..." Hillary says she hasn't seen bitterness and anger in this country of ours. Well where has she been campaigning, Cabo?"

Good luck in your plight. And thanks for speaking out.

[Barbwire]

I think Barack Obama has enough trust in the people to know that he can rise above the nastiness. It hurts the party to attack each other. As much as I don't want McCain elected to be a slightly more clearly speaking Bush, I don't think I can vote for Hillary Clinton.

God bless you and your family, Ms. Smithwick.

[grendl]

Rising above the nastiness is what doomed Dukakis and Kerry.

We want a president who can fight.

In World War 2 this country fought, with good purpose and defeated an enemy hell bent on overrunning the world. Barack must do the same for the good of the Democratic Party.

Ceding the low ground, brushing off the attacks, its a defensive strategy doomed to failure. He needs to attack, like we did on D Day. This is his moment. It's not becoming the Nazis, its standing up for whats right. And Hillarys been wrong once too often.

[ann1]

grendl, how about passing that info on to Obama's camp.

[youarekillingme]

Bravo!

[wearyvoter]

Amen.