Faith of our (Bitter) Fathers?

In my 31 years, I have lived in Red, Blue and 'Purple states. In college I had to explain to people with Ivy League educations that yes, we did have cable TV in Ohio and no, we don't drive tractors down the streets (which, by the way, are paved). Living in Washington State now, I endure eye-rolling when I don't shell out 50% more for organic baby food for a child who has repeatedly tried to eat the escalator handle at the mall (ewwww). Yes, sometimes people in different parts of America just don't understand each other at all.

Over the weekend, despite being from Illinois (a state with both plentiful big-city and small-town voters), Barack Obama decided the best way to court the 'flyover state' voters was to insult their intelligence.

"And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." -Barack Obama

Are people in America today frustrated and disillusioned with government? Yes (although moreso with the Democrats in Congress than with Bush). Are all of people's beliefs built from bitterness? No (unless, perhaps, you're Pastor Jeremiah Wright). Should we rely on the government to solve our emotional (or other) problems? No.

Senator Obama, rather than apologizing (ahem), decided to dismiss critcism of his remarks as politically motivated. To that I say this: Senator Obama, I take my 'religion' very seriously. The reason there *is* an America is because a group of intrepid pilgrims 'got bitter' and 'clung to their religion' when their 'government failed them.' Those 'frustrations' created our country, NOT the other way around.

Faith and freedom to disagree are not 'last resorts', but rather the underpinning of everything in America. If you believe that too, please speak up on Facebook, on pro-McCain sites, and most importantly, in the voting booth.

Thanks to Adam Schmidt at Blogs for McCain for the heads-up.