a bit of idealism

So an issue that has become more and more important to me is the treatment of the poor. Lack of healthcare, lack of a good system for those suffering from mental illness, hunger, homelessness, the foster care system...all worthy causes that need more attention. I'm interested in what the candidates have to say about them, about what they will do if elected.

But here's the rub: these candidates are spending millions of dollars to tell us what they want to do for the poor (among other issues).

What if they took that money and just directly applied it to causes and organizations that worked to alleviate poverty and injustice? Talk about your campaign reform...it would be a campaign revolution.

But then again...we've set up this system where in order to be heard in the political realm, you have to have money. So millions of dollars are funneled into flyers, commercials, events, etc., while people are sleeping on the street and wondering where their next meal will come from. And even though promises are made on the campaign trail, with the way our political system functions there is no guarantee those statements will come true.

Sometimes, I really don't like America.