I am bitter--

Just read the title of this Blog.

I am bitter, and I am frustrated that my government does not act in a way that represents me in matters of war and peace and economic justice and matters of moral credibility.

I do not cling to guns or isolationist attitudes- but I know people who do. And some of those who do would not say that they are bitter. In fact, if they are bitter it is unlikely to be about the issues I mentioned above.

Anyone who does not recognize, within themselves, at least a small sense of frustration or anger or'bitterness' about the way our government has been behaving, or about the way our government has been ignoring the concerns of its own people (Remember Dick Cheney's reaction to the polls against the Iraq war "So?") is simply being either dishonest or out-of touch.

So I am bitter about the way our country is being run. I also am feeling a sense of disconnectedness about that - after all, what can we really do?

And so I turn to my own sphere of influence- that area where I can make a difference and empower others to do the same. Some may go so far as to say I am clinging to religion.

Religious organizations, when they function at their best, can and do perform many functions that government cannot and probably should not do. They also perform functions in our society that government chooses not to do.

Obama may have been lazy in his choice of words but when I heard and read his comments they did ring true.