Could Sanders Split the Democratic Party?

Shawn Whitney, Canadian writer, filmmaker, and socialist, continues our discussion of the US elections. He argues that Marxists should be playing an active role in Sanders’ campaign because of its …

Source: Could Sanders Split the Democratic Party?

Hillary Supporters: Seven Stages Of Grief

I think we’re all getting a little tired of this incessant hyperbole demonstrated by Hillary Clinton supporters who haven’t reached the point of acceptance in that a revolution is happening whether they (you) like it or not.

Though we feel strongly that Bernie Sanders should be the POTUS and would certainly move things along much quicker – he’s not a necessity. So, while we will fight to the bitter end to get him elected, and I really do mean the bitter end – one way or another, we’ll be continuing this fight on every front. We’re already mobilizing and working hard to get our “Berniecrats” in office, as well. Lawsuits geared to end the oppression of the vote are springing up all over the country. Activists are taking on issues across a wide array of venues and we’ve already accomplished more than our establishment media would dare to report.

So in lieu of the onslaught of invasive changes we all are presently faced with – I thought we could walk you (Hillary supporters) through the seven stages of grief, that way they can hopefully reach that point of acceptance sooner rather than later. It’s most certainly the way to unity instead of division. This bleeds through party lines, and affects all of us! But it’s okay, Hillary supporters, berners are here to help you through this.

1.) Shock.

I know it’s hard. Like a thorn in your side, at every turn, we just keep infiltrating your psyche! When Bernie announced his candidacy – he was essentially speaking to family reunion sized crowds in small venues and most of us had never even heard his name. Superdelegates had already assigned their votes to Hillary assuming there wouldn’t be another viable candidate – least of all a democratic socialist from Vermont. Then, like a brush fire – hundreds of thousands people started paying attention to him because he echoed the thoughts of so many across our nation. All of the sudden, BOOM! We couldn’t help but Feel The Bern! I know you all were excited about having a woman in the oval office but this man’s honesty fostered an incredible following that no one expected! Honesty being a trait that Hillary was sorely lacking.

Millions of minds and hearts ignited, at that point – which has sparked a revolution within the realm of politics and government. What a nuisance! With this revolution also came the Bernie or Bust movement, a revolt against plutocracy, and an ever-increasing distention within the Democratic Party. I know if you’re clicking the links, it’s a lot to take in. Deep breaths, Hillary supporters.

2.) Denial.

But “He’s a socialist!’ ‘He can’t get anything done that he says he’s going to do!’ ‘ Look at his delegate count!’ you cry (while you disregard disenfranchised voters)… This inflammatory hatespeech against Bernie, aside, by far and away, your most frightening denial is that of Hillary Clinton’s own record. You’re so quick to dismiss any allegations against Hillary, dubbing it “right wing slander,” that you completely ignore the choices she’s made, and votes she’s cast, and her many Wall Street backers which the majority of Sanders’ backers exclaim far moreso than anything having to do with her innumerable scandals.

Hillary Clinton is the poster child for establishment politics that has led to neutralization of too many of the American peoples’ core values. Even those policies she’s “evolved” on like same sex marriage, the Iraqi war, the TPP, and Immigration reform to disturbing stances on climate change and bank regulation/deregulation  that have not evolved like being pro-keystone pipeline and anti-glass steagall – all of these choices she’s made have proven her lack of foresight and inability to enact any real change with respect to the future. Berners don’t trust that she’ll “evolve” or worse, trust her NOT to “devolve” on these issues. But let’s stop arguing about it because it has nothing to do with ANYTHING ending in -gate. (And deep down, you know that. Shhh… it’s okay. We know…)

3.) Anger.

In the wake of all of this sprung super pacs designated to “Correct the Record,” and a plethora of other questionable tactics because there’s more than reason to believe that this revolution threatens the establishment and, indeed, Hillary Clinton’s candidacy. While Bernie supporters who took “Bernie or Bust” positions were suggested to be the equivalent of toddlers throwing a tantrum – Hillary continued to drop in the polls. We know how frustrating it is, we’ve been there. I mean, not really –  but it has certainly been reported that way. And then, of course, our dear CNN came out with this juicy nugget:

“On the Republican side, Trump scores a net negative of -33, with a favorable rating of 24% compared to 57% of voters who view him unfavorably. On the Democratic side, Clinton fares only slightly better with a net negative of -21, registering a 31% favorable rating and a 52% unfavorable rating, according to the poll.”

That’s gotta sting. Would you like some ice for that Bern?

Get it out. You know what happens when you don’t let all that anger out, right? Ask a Trump supporter, they know ALL about that…

4.) Bargaining.

:“You don’t want Trump to win, do you?” “If you don’t hold your nose and vote for Hillary, we’ll have TRUMP!!!” Ahhh, yes. The Republican Boogeyman tactic. Big, bad, scary Trump. Did you really think that “strategy” was going to work against a supporter base who’s largely ANTI-establishment? We don’t like Trump. That goes without saying. But I think it’s safe to say that we like Hillary even less! The definition of insanity is voting for the same candidate over and over again, and expecting different results.

Let me break down for you what the average Bernie supporter thinks of Trump. Trump hasn’t committed crimes that have gone and continue to go unpunished. Trump hasn’t (at least not yet) instigated distention in the middle east or accepted campaign donations from middle eastern dictators, princes, or regime leaders. Donald Trump never participated in arms deals that put militarized weapons in the hands of terrorists. He also wasn’t responsible for what happened to Gaddafi (nor did he laugh about Gaddafi being lynched in the streets by Isis.) He’s never voted for a war that cost us innumerable lives and trillions of dollars, that essentially warranted no gains WHATSOEVER.

For all intents and purposes – Donald Trump is just a lot of talk. On the other hand – Hillary is a lot of dubious, apocryphal, and absolutely calamitous action. Can you see the disparity? We sure can. And it’s not just a matter or “the lesser of two evils,” because – to us – they are really EQUALLY “evil.” That really is the bottom line.

5.) Depression.

This is arguably the stage you’re in now, realizing the state of affairs – in that there’s no way to “unify the party,” because this arduous debate is more likely, at the end of the day, to destroy the party. In a previous blog, I demonstrated how 91.41% of Bernie Sanders’ supporters would NOT vote for Hillary Clinton if she were the democratic nominee. Regardless of whether you believe that number to be true – the number far exceeds half, or even three-quarters of Bernie’s supporter base, respectively. That number grows daily, and is almost as pervasive as Hillary’s egregious unfavorable rating. 

With the national convention on the near horizon, and the media purporting that Bernie’s supoorters were “violent” at the Nevada convention seemingly trying to suggest that the same might happen at the national convention – you’re reasonably scared. But you don’t need to be. Can we account for the actions of every single Bernie Sanders supporter and what they will or will not do at the convention? No. But neither can any Hillary Clinton supporter. But seeing as the supposed “violence” at the Nevada convention was an outright lie – I’d say we have about an equal chance of some one or multiple people becoming unreasonably violent at the national convention in either camp. 

I know you’d love to believe the sky is falling, but it’s not. That brings us to the last two stages of grieving – which is where the recovery really happens.

6.) Testing.

So, are you finally willing to talk this one out without hyperbole and having an “us” verses “them” mentality? Because the truth is – we’re all in this together. Like it or not, we’re all inhabitants of this country, and the vested interest is that we achieve what’s best for all of us, right? So, if we can put aside our differences and biases about each other and the candidates – do we really actually want the same things? I’m willing to bet that the answer to that question is YES. 

I think that we can agree that the arguing, the bullying, the trolling, and the general distention are not getting any of us anywhere with respect to unity. If we can choose to change the approach to how we speak to each other – exude a little more empathy and a lot less intolerance – we can go into this convention with a fresh perspective.

Logical debate is what we need, because (to put it in a clever metaphor) we are all a part of a body. You, Hillary supporters, are the arms. You may have a lot of pull, and it goes without saying that you’ve definitely got a thumb or two in this (be it Debbie Wasserman Schultz’ thumb on the scale or your own on the convention, itself.) Bernie supporters are the legs. We’re the foundation of truly progressive ideologies and we surely have the momentum on our side. Our candidates, respectively, are the head of this metaphorical body. Inside that head is a brain –  which controls the nervous system, which in turn gives signals to the arms and the legs as to what to do.

I don’t hear either candidate saying that we shouldn’t all try to get along! We may have to agree to disagree on certain things – but we could all use a little more open-mindedness so that we can set our differences aside for the greater good. You’ll have to decide for yourself if you’re willing to compromise and give Bernie the nomination. You achieve what you want on a political level (Bernie can and will achieve the policies you hold dear), and we don’t have to suffer 4-8 years of incremental change and potential destruction. Think it through, carefully.

7.) Acceptance.

Policy-wise, there’s very little we disagree on, I’d say the only real difference is that Bernie has some added policies (like getting money out of politics, breaking up the big banks, free college, and single-payer healthcare) but to the core, if you only look at Hillary’s “evolved” stances on policy – we are fundamentally the same. That’s what makes this whole argument so ridiculous! If you believe that universal healthcare, and free college tuition are “pie in the sky,” so be it! What if it does happen? It would still align with core values we share on humanity, as independents, liberals, and Democrats. If we were truly unified – these things would be so much easier!

This revolution is going to happen with or without Bernie. But it will be a whole lot easier with a truly progressive president. It’s going to happen because we refuse to give up. You’ve already seen how relentless we can be! And you can doubt the revolution too – but I challenge you to just wait and see.

This revolution is hinged upon our faith in each other and I’ll tell you this much – I have so much more faith in my fellow compatriots than I ever did before this primary season began. I am truly inspired, and so are millions of others. We’ve been awakened and our strength comes from knowing there are so many others out there, like us, who are fighting every day for the things we believe in. I invite you, too, Hillary supporters… Come and be inspired!

We get that you’re uncomfortable with change and that the path you’re on seems, to you, the most logical one. One way or another, you’ll be shaken out of your comfort zone after November. You just have to choose whether or not you want the victorious gratification – or the rude awakening.

I hope you join us. You may be able to thwart Bernie Sanders being the democratic nominee and therefore – the president. But I want to extend to you the chance to be a part of something beautiful, instead.

(Tip: There’s a wealth of knowledge in the links, clicking them will have a drastic and damaging effect on your ignorance. You’ve been warned!)

 

I Love People Who Love Bernie Sanders

All credit to The Independent Thinker. Maybe the Independent Thinker is embarking upon an Ineffable Sonder. 😂 I know my ineffable sonder led me to be an independent thinker! Read on…

theindependentthinker2016

I love people who love Bernie Sanders.

They are intelligent.

They see through bullshit.

They seek truth.

They strive to be fair.

Each one of them is a daily reminder to me that the world is okay.

Before this happened, I wasn’t so sure some days.

From the time I was a kid I knew that the fix was in and I just wanted to Rage Against the Machine…

But no one would rage with me.

Everyone was watching football.

I was the only one protesting.

Why couldn’t I just relax and watch American Idol?

Why was I angry about what was happening to others?

…

The world was going to hell and no one noticed…or cared.

…

When I found out Bernie was running I knew it would change my life.

I ran to my girlfriend’s house and said

“You know the Senator from Vermont that I like? He’s running for…

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DNC: This Is Your Wake Up Call

I have spent the last three months compiling data over three separate surveys. At 95% confidence, and within a 3.7% +/- margin of error, 91.41% of Bernie Sanders supporters will not be voting for Hillary Clinton if she is the Democratic nominee.

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about why that is. Bernie Sanders supporters consist of a diversity of people, from all walks of life. Each demographic has their own motives, but essentially what it boils down to is that we disagree on a fundamental level about money in politics.

The older generation, and GenX crowd witnessed the erosion of the Democratic Party into center-right policy and lukewarm opposition to right-wing extremism that has allowed our government to become beholden to corporations and big money.

The younger generation, the millenials who are professed to be the so-called “majority” of Bernie Sanders’ supporter base have inherited the debts and mistakes of lawmakers who have only represented such a small portion of the American population that there’s nothing left for them to identify with or relate to.

Roughly 23% of the whole, these millenials have no false sense of entitlement – the “good old days” of social and economic equality are completely unknown to them. Is it any wonder why their ideals are pushed off and seen as “lofty,” “pie in the sky,” and dismissed as near impossible?

Establishment politics and government have stamped a bar code on the foreheads of the middle class and the poor. The DNC has treated us more like a consumer base than the supporters of a candidate… And don’t get me started on the mainstream media. Sanders has been branded a socialist, far left, “fringe candidate.” Meanwhile, the narrative is “Trump is scary, please vote for Hillary regardless.” Only we’re not buying it.

If we owe the millenials anything within this entire campaign, it’s most certainly their proclivity to obtaining credible information from the areas they’ve been most accustomed. (The internet, YouTube, social media, etc.)

As a result, like a tidal wave, the vast majority of Sanders’ supporters quit buying into the propaganda machine, that in previous elections was the mechanism you all have used to garner support for your preferred candidates.

All of this is useful information, but I have yet to even get to the most earth shattering statistics. The data trends have also shown that after the New York primary, the margin of those who were undecided about voting for Hillary completely vanished.

The Democratic Party is falling apart right before your eyes. This is a train rolling steadily forward, and the party, itself, is tied to the tracks. On one side of you is a candidate wrought with corruption and innumerable scandals, and with questionable morality – flailing at the multitude of stones being thrown at her – and she can’t save you because she’s too busy saving herself.

On your other side is this outsider who empathizes with your situation.(Hint: It’s all of our situations but we have a different perspective.) He’s standing on the platform, millions of people behind him. To spite what you may believe about his loyalties, the enormous crowd behind him need only say the word and he would ensure you’d be freed from those oppressive chains.

The truth is, 61% identify as Democrat if they can vote for Bernie Sanders in November. Only just under 7% say they’ll stay with the Democratic Party if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee.

This is serious. And before you dismiss these Democrats as those who’ve switched parties to vote in the primaries for Bernie, let me go ahead and dispel any would-be theory.

The above questions came from two separate surveys and as you can see, it’s still within the margin of error. You can also see that there are twice as many pre-Bernie Democrats as there are independents. That’s 25% additional voters in November. 25% additional that Hillary Clinton could not garner, herself. That should factor into your overall decision.

It goes without saying that in national polls, Bernie beats every Republican candidate by a landslide. Meanwhile Hillary has, in at least one poll presented on Huffpost – LOST to (of all candidates) Kasich. Her slight dominance over the other two potential candidates isn’t strong, and in fact, grows weaker each poll. Unfortunately, her favorability rating seems to drop daily and she’s yet to even face off with the Republicans, who will not be kind to her.

One in ten, or 12.9% Bernie supporters would actually vote for Trump because they are so disgusted with the system consistently giving us the perceived choice of the lesser of two evils. And you could argue that Hillary is, in fact, the lesser of two evils.

But those who would vote against Hillary believe her stances on foreign policy, the countless times she’s voted in the “wrong” direction, and her overall dishonesty speak volumes more to her character than do Trump’s insults, or Cruz’s delusions. Personally, I can’t blame them, though I, myself, wouldn’t vote for Trump, or any Republican.

I had originally thought of creating these surveys to prove that the mainstream media’s representation of Bernie Sanders supporters was, and continues to be grossly inaccurate. After reading an open letter to Bernie Sanders by a superdelegate in California – I realized that there must be many superdelegates who’ve bought the media’s pitch and therefore are not truly aware of the potential disaster that awaits the Democratic Party in November if Hillary is the nominee.

These surveys were designed to cross check each other. Respondents are from a variety of social media venues and many are not the same between surveys. Roughly one-third of all respondents took all three surveys. Either way, this isn’t rocket science. The numbers don’t lie. This train is coming and the choice you all will have to make is critical to the future of our country.

I do apologize for imposing this crisis of conscience upon you. But THE PEOPLE have been waiting for you, and we’re ready to do whatever it takes because for us – it’s our livelihoods at stake, it’s the future of this great nation. Bernie supporters are not just going to wake up one day having forgotten the atrocities committed by the DNC’s choice candidate. More to the point, the trust we presently have in the DNC weighs entirely upon July’s convention.

Our trust in the “system” has already been shaken.

No one knows who’s at fault here, but we do know who’s benefiting directly from the overwhelming amount of discrepancies, primarily in closed primary states. To ignore the clear evidence at the exit polls is nearly complicit. Where most democratic countries would not stand for a deviation in the exit polls beyond 4%, here in America, it doesn’t even get press coverage.

Almost two thirds of Bernie Sanders’ supporter base calls themselves a Democrat, so whatever the issue is – the DNC has yet to take a stand against voter suppression in a way that appeases both Democratic candidates’ supporters.

To us, this is why the question of Bernie’s loyalty is ludicrous. Where has the establishment or the Democratic Party shown loyalty to its constituents? Why should we commit to a party that has left many of us disenfranchised and without a voice? Bernie’s comment “We’ll see,” in reference to whether or not he would support the DNC no doubt refers to his commitment to the people and the “If” exists only to ensure that the DNC does its due diligence to the people.

We all know that Bernie is first and foremost loyal to the people. That is incredibly commendable and perhaps a large reason why the majority of us are so fervent in his favor, as well.

In the face of being disenfranchised by those who’ve claimed to have our best interests at heart, we’ve found no error in calling ourselves “Bernie or Bust.” All for a man with more integrity, and who’s been more honest, and courageous than any candidate many of us have ever had the pleasure of witnessing in our lifetime. He’s the embodiment of what we’ve thought and felt for years about government and the way things are done – but had always thought “it’s just the way things are.”

On critical issues like the pollution and destruction of our environment by way of fracking, and the pollution and destruction of our democracy by way of greed infiltrating our government and political system, as well as critical social issues beyond what Hillary had only evolved on as it became politically expedient, for countless smears against Bernie AND his supporters – for these reasons and many more, we cannot – in good conscience – EVER vote for Hillary Clinton. Unifying the party is not an option if the option is Hillary.

We don’t want our children and grandchildren subjected to the same vicious money grubbing system, with a price tag on their dreams and aspirations. It’s come to our attention that this is not “just the way it is,” and that we have the power to make things better for the generations to come in the hopes that maybe they won’t inherit the same burden.

Please stand with us, we ask this in kind. The DNC stands between Bernie and a presidency representative of the people. And we the people stand between the DNC and a victory for the Democrats.

A right and fair election would demonstrate how incredibly large our numbers are. We don’t have that luxury. But I’m confident that justice will prevail and the people will have the candidate that they feel most represents their best interests. I’m hopeful that history will reflect this pinnacle moment as one where love, honesty, integrity, and freedom won.

That’s all up to you.

Revolt Against Plutocracy – Movement for an American political revolution

https://citizensagainstplutocracy.wordpress.com/

Sharing in hopes that this gets around! Only need just over 12k signatures!

An Open Letter To The California Superdelegate Who Wrote An Open Letter To Bernie Sanders

First off, let me apologize to you. You should not, and neither should any other superdelegates, be receiving any harassing phone calls, mail, tweets, facebook posts, or email from Bernie supporters urging you to change your endorsement. It’s rude and uncalled for, especially when the convention isn’t even until after the primaries.

That being said, I wholeheartedly disagree with your reason for continuing your support of Hillary Clinton – if only because a lot of what you mentioned in your open letter was based on half truths.

Bernie Sanders has identified as an independent but has worked with and been on more than a few Democratic committees during his time as a senator. Also during that time, he has raised money and endorsed several Democrats to show his support in many ideals and policies shared by Democrats. Did you bother to look into that before making an assumption based on a news interview that everyone knows can’t be all inclusive insofar as either party, be it the reporter, or the guest (in this case, Bernie, himself) actually being able to say everything they need to say?

The point missed – amidst the confusion of fervent Bernie supporters not exuding very good judgement in their methods of urging superdelegates to change their endorsements – is that, to spite the media’s representation of Bernie, the fact of the matter is that there are millions of uncounted votes in closed primaries all for Bernie who will be voting in the general election, one way or another based on who the Democratic nominee is. Why not welcome the millions of independent voters who will be registered as Democrats and would continue to support the DNC and the Democratic Party if Bernie were the nominee? In all likelihood, you’ll need those votes if the Democrats want to have any chance at winning against the Republicans. Why? Because 9 out of every 10 Bernie supporters will NOT be voting for Hillary Clinton.

In fact, there are twice as many registered Democrats as independents voting for Bernie. How many do you think will stay with the party if Hillary is the nominee? 11.1% is your answer.

If your true interest is sustaining the Democratic Party and voting for the most logical nominee to win the general election – then your logic is grossly backwards. And, of course this is just my opinion, I would venture to say that if the will of the people (not exclusive to Democrats, but also independents who largely vote Democratic, anyway) isn’t represented by the establishment, then it just might mean the end of the Democratic Party in favor of a party that the people feel truly represents them.

In polls across the nation, Bernie garners 62% of the support. Sure, that’s not the primaries and caucuses – but I implore you to at least try and acknowledge the possibility that it COULD be accurate, and being that there are thousands of disenfranchised voters out there who most certainly won’t be for the general election, it’s more than just a feint possibility.

I would also urge you to think about the poll data presented here, as CNN has conducted polls with far fewer respondents, though they seem to think that’s a reasonable amount of people to collect random data from to form a close to accurate prediction.

11.1%, and that number keeps dropping the more respondents take the survey, and I’d be happy to share it with you as it progresses. But just yesterday, it was 12%. The fact is, a lot of true democrats have lost faith in the Democratic Party over the years and it’s time that the DNC recognizes that!

We felt disenfranchised when Gore lost the election, and just how many fewer people voted in the following elections? It’s been on a decline for over a decade now. I, myself, quit voting after Gore lost to Bush because I felt like my vote really didn’t matter anymore. And until Bernie Sanders, I would have never dreamed I would ever register to vote again! That’s why so many of us are so incredibly fervent about ONLY voting in favor of Bernie – no matter what that means. Writing him in, voting Green Party or Libertarian, voting Republican to prove to you that Hillary is not the nominee the MAJORITY of this country as a whole want, or again, not even voting because so many believe the system is rigged.

The missing percentage (0.54%) is “I don’t know.”

Please forgive our incredible fervor in pressuring you and other superdelegates. To us, it’s more than just about red and blue. There’s no excuse for bad behavior, but you cannot blame us for feeling so strongly, and loving our country so much that we’d go to extreme measures to have our voices heard. (When’s the last time you encountered such passion from constituents of a particular candidate?)

Your vote is worth hundreds, if not thousands of votes – and there are thousands, if not millions of people without a voice in the overwhelming amount of inconsistency and possibly “conspiracy,” and it feels, to us, to be much more than mere coincidence. Especially when, even after discovery of these mishaps (peoples’ registration changing from Democrat to Republican or independent, purging of hundreds of thousands of registered voters in primarily Bernie favored locations, changing the allotted time to vote in a given day from 15hrs (6am-9pm) to just 9hrs (12pm-9pm) in Bernie favored locations, the list goes on and on) nothing gets resolved! Who’s standing up for these disenfranchised voters? Certainly not Hillary’s delegates. Shouldn’t we ALL care about the sanctity of each vote, regardless of allegiance?

You mentioned Arizona, completely failing to acknowledge all of the voters there – Democrats, no less – as if there’s no way a revote could mean a Bernie victory! If they do, indeed, get a revote, the majority of people there now believe that Hillary or the DNC might be behind this mass madness to the degree that there are even more Bernie supporters there now than there were before their initial primary. Who’s to say that the superdelegate there didn’t endorse Bernie Sanders for the same reason? Are you empathetic or apathetic to the people there who have been treated as if they don’t matter, their votes aren’t important, and neither the DNC, board of elections, or county officials thought they should do anything about it until protests would not let up?

It’s your job to choose the strongest candidate to beat the Republican nominee and Clinton only is projected to win by 8 points with Trump and 1 point with Cruz. Bernie beats them both by double digits. Your stance, and the stances of so many superdelegates defies logic in the form of credible data – which really begs the questions, “What’s really going on here? Is there just an agenda to get Hillary nominated instead of Bernie, no matter what?”

You, and the DNC are losing constituents daily because of your inability to budge on this matter. It seems to me that it’s counterproductive no matter what way you want to look at it. Again, all but 11.1% of us are more than willing to denounce the Democratic Party altogether given the circumstances, and to spite the enormous amount of pressure to be loyal to the party, regardless. How in the world is this not important to you, also? Is your allegiance to Hillary Clinton or the Democratic Party?

Bernie Sanders’ comment “We’ll see,” no doubt mirrors the concerns of the people. He’s more inclined to favor us over you, and that is the point. It’s admirable and honorable, and not a question of loyalty to the party, itself. What he’s REALLY saying is that if the DNC is willing to get behind him as 62% of the nation has gotten behind him, then he will undoubtedly get behind you. Until the DNC demonstrates that it it sides with the overwhelming majority of the people, the people will NOT be demonstrating their previous loyalty to the party as a whole, and Bernie Sanders stands WITH us, get it?

I’m sure you’re very busy and don’t have time to do your research on these things. That’s OK, for that you can be forgiven. But we cannot forgive willful ignorance and turning a blind eye to the facts. Bernie has won in the states that matter. The states that vote Blue. The same states where only 11% would vote for Hillary in the general election. Bernie Sanders has done exceedingly well even at his weakest.

The evidence at your fingertips could not be more clear.

I completely understand a personal loyalty to Hillary Clinton. I really do. She, as well as Bill, have been unabashedly loyal to the Democratic Party for many years. And this wouldn’t even be a question if your single vote weren’t worth so many. For your single vote, if it counted as only one, your personal preference is given the utmost respect. If you’re willing to let the DNC commit social suicide because your vote is equivalent to hundreds or thousands – by all means, go ahead and shoot yourself in the foot. But at the end of all of this, you might regret not siding with Bernie when NOT doing so costs you the loyalty of MILLIONS of voters who will leave the party in ruin after the votes cast in November tell the TRUE story of how the DNC misrepresented the people and lost the election.

You can’t always believe what you hear on the news. I hope this sheds some light on the gravity of the situation. I truly regret that you’ve been so accosted previous to this letter. Hopefully, you’ll receive it well, regardless. So much depends upon it.

P. S. Do you really believe that Bernie Sanders wouldn’t do his due diligence to the Democratic Party if he were the nominee? To insinuate that he wouldn’t be able to secure the funds needed to win the general election is absurd. He’s out-fundraised Hillary every month this quarter. What HE might be suggesting is that you wouldn’t do yours, and by your tone, I’m inclined to feel the same.

P. P. S. The New York Times is going to discredit Bernie? That’s a shocker. A publishing company who’s parent company endorses Hillary Clinton putting up a smear campaign against Bernie, has the Democratic Party really deteriorated into resorting to Republican tactics? You really have no clue about what’s happening within the Democratic Party, do you? A train is rushing down the tracks about to collide with everything you hold dear – and you’re clinging to the hope that somehow the establishment could win the hearts and minds of these Bernie Sanders supporters, only there’s no hope for that. Less than 2% rely on mainstream media for their information, and no one is buying the propaganda anymore, Bob. You’re really underestimating the demographic, here. You’re in for a rude awakening if you believe the same old tactics are going to work this time around. And whether you like or not, you NEED us.

P.P.P.S. We The People can speak for ourselves. You got your apology, and your attempt to place blame on Bernie has earned you no merit with those of us who know better than to trust anything you, or any establishment Democrat has to say. Now, I’ve heard Bernie Sanders described many ways. “Selfish” has never been one of them. Even Republicans have remarked on his honesty, compassion, and standing up for what he believes in. You have the audacity to classify a genuinely selfless man as selfish because he won’t play your money games or participate in your hierarchy? Shame on you.

Don’t say that nobody warned you.

What Bernie Sanders Got Done in Washington: A Legislative Inventory

Bernie Sanders is a progressive who likes to get things done and his record of legislative accomplishments in the House of Representatives and the Senate shows it. Despite being independent from bo…

Source: What Bernie Sanders Got Done in Washington: A Legislative Inventory

The Real Power of Social Media pt.2

Dear Berners,

I’m typically one of those strange people who prefers actual human contact versus liking statuses on facebook and retweeting posts on twitter. My overall view of social media has been, up to this point – rather bleak. I’ve viewed it more as a disconnection than a connection.

That is, until this election process begun.

All of the sudden, I find myself inclined to open these apps and within are profound discoveries in human emotion, mass connection under a righteous cause, and I have found such immense beauty in being a part of this machine that has been the most honest form of media out there. Imagine that?!

There are people fighting hard to keep it honest, too! The Young Turks, and Huffpost, as well as average everyday users like you and me – we want the truth to be heard, read, and understood!

So, whereas the first part to my blog about the power of social media painted this picture of it being a destructive force, I am literally confounded to find myself with an intense sense of purpose, and of joy when I connect with like minded people who share a common interest in something much greater than ourselves. Something worth believing in.

I say, “something,” and not “someone,” because to me, it’s bigger than Bernie Sanders. To me the revolution is YUUUUGE! United we stand, divided we fall. So the fact that you don’t know me, but you know I’m behind this revolution, fighting and hoping that the revolution includes Bernie Sanders as the POTUS – you immediately identify with me. You know, somehow, that we are kindred spirits and we unite under this cause that, upon an actual battlefield, I could look you in the eye, you look at me, we instinctively know that we’ve got each others’ backs.

It’s also evolution. Because what I just described ‘on a battlefield,’ there’s a trust there that resonates with my heart and soul. I believe other Berners feel it too. How beautiful it is to be a part of something… Something real, and tangible. Something so incredible that if we succeed in getting Bernie Sanders into the White House – we can all tack that up among one of the greatest accomplishments in our lifetime. The first day that “good” won. It wouldn’t be because we accomplished it in the traditional way, but rather, because as a whole, we chose love over fear.

I’m actually proud to be an American, maybe for the first time in a decade. When Bush dropped bombs on Baghdad, I started to lose hope. I began to feel like no matter what – the cards were never in the peoples’ favor. I wrote a song about the “same ol’ people bringing us down.”

Along comes this man whose been saying virtually the same thing his entire career – and yet I’d never heard of him. This wonderful man gave us all a reason to stand in solidarity, united under a single undiluted cause, and with that, hope is reborn!

There is a very palpable awakening happening within the souls of millions of people. We’ve hijacked social media. Wherever you find ignorance flourishing, you find berners vanquishing that ignorance with sound reason and best of all – a sense of empathy and compassion.

All of the sudden, inspiration is born again within me to relearn my old protest songs, to write new ones, and to engage in this social media machine that has brought so many of us together.

I hit “add friend” and “follow” now when I see someone like me out there fighting for truth and justice. Nine times out of ten, the invite is accepted. Pretty soon, my feed is peppered with the fires Berning in the hearts of so many beautiful people whom I can feasibly call my brothers and sisters and they would agree.

I don’t think I could have anticipated that this would happen in my lifetime. I was there paying attention to my twitter feed for hours upon hours after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. I watched in horror as the area eroded into a police state and took it as a sign of our country eroding into stagnation. I took part in the moral outrage felt by the people of Ferguson and felt such empathy as the cop, the representative of the law, was exonerated and no charges were brought upon him.

So, we arrive at today where kindled flames have been brought to blazing fire, berning. Finally, a man for the people. Finally, a man with honesty and integrity! What a beautiful opportunity we have, in that our generation has the privilege of taking part in this – knowing WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! We’re already doing it!

I’m going to let this fire Bern within me no matter what. Come what may! If the “elite” chooses to rig this thing in favor of the establishment, we will continue on the path of bringing this revolution to fruition. I am proud to be a part of something, I am excited that people everywhere have found profound meaning in partaking in social media and (for all intents and purposes) winning the internet.

I chalk this up as a positive affirmation that “good” still exists out there and I trust with my whole heart in this movement taking place within our culture in favor of love, empathy, compassion, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We CAN and WILL continue to embrace these values and with every turn of the crank – we gain wisdom to share with future generations to make corruption accountable for its involvement in undermining the authority of the people, and distorting democracy.

We are the revolution that countless modern prophets, artists, musicians and other respectable humans have foreseen for decades now. It’s no longer just a pipe dream, or a seemingly unachievable goal. It’s within our reach to truly make a difference and inspire others to embark upon the same path leading towards a better future for us all.

I’ve often referenced my two year old son – in that I have been saddened at the thought of my beautiful boy growing up in a world where there are so many ridiculous social distinctions separating us – an agenda forced upon us to keep us fighting each other instead of the top 1%, who have repeatedly brainwashed thousands, if not MILLIONS of people into submitting to distraction.

Now, we’ve taken that tool of distraction and turned it on them! The result is unity! The result is standing, in unison, screaming, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”

To know that you, Berners, are out there fighting the good fight and never giving up, never surrendering – I am inspired. I want to thank you all for showing me that it’s possible! But not only that – for showing me that I am not alone here. We are all in this together. You are my brothers and sisters! You are the embodiment of Ghandi’s quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Never lose hope! If you find yourself burdened with sadness over the overwhelming negativity we encounter on a daily basis, I urge you to change the lens you’re viewing it through. Everything boils down to perspective and as Tony Robbins says “You have to ask yourself a few rudimentary questions. Is this the end, or is it the beginning?” If it’s not the end, then it still must be the beginning. The beginning of a better and brighter future for ourselves and our children. We can and will accomplish this!

With much love and gratitude,

Andi

 

 

The Truth is…

The truth is… I’m tired of debating politics. I think, sometimes, people forget we are all human beings here. Further – we’re souls traversing dimensions most of us can’t even imagine.

I have thought about who I will vote for, but I’m not sure it matters. There’s a deeper issue – an underlying problem that has NOTHING to do with who sits in the oval office come January of 2017. This problem pervades any and all opinions hinging on biases and personal fears. The problem isn’t Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, or Bernie Sanders.

The problem is us.

We let our fears consume us, as a culture. Even to a point where we spew venom at any who oppose what we believe in. Every one of us is so bent on being “right” – that we forget to look in the mirror.

We’ve been conditioned to believe that the evils in this world exist “out there.”

The truth is… The evil exists within us, too. We are just too blinded by our own integrated belief systems to see it.

We’ve been conditioned to believe that the only way we can achieve any form of fulfillment in life is to give of ourselves only within the realm of the tangible.

The truth is… The most beautiful things we can do for others exist within the same realm as God – within the intangible.

Money is another form of energy we can give and receive. But it’s not the only form of currency we have to offer. So much of our existence is based upon money.

The truth is… Money, in the grand scheme of things, only has value to those who don’t take it for granted. That is to say, our feelings about it – when it is given to us, how we obtain it, where it comes from – are more important than the tangible aspect as it exists in our world.

We have the best of ourselves tucked away behind this facade of fear and personal turmoil, believing that God is “out there,” too. Why haven’t we discovered that God is “in here” as well?

The truth is… We are the universe experiencing itself, and we all have God within us to guide us. When “our will” alligns with “his will,” we see how the world around us flourishes and we inherently recognize the beauty in others, regardless of our differences.

“Someone who knows God has dropped the knife. They have dropped the cruel knife that so many use upon their tender self, and others.” -Hafiz

(I use a quote by a Muslim intentionally here.)

When we are blinded by fear – we hurt others, and disregard their feelings, entirely. I could almost quote Yoda here – “fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering…”

If we consider ourselves to be relatively spiritually fine tuned – then we understand that forgiveness is something needed more by the giver than the receiver. It doesn’t serve us to hold on to that negativity, in the end – it hurts us more than it could ever hurt them.

The same is true of our fears. If we let them fester and boil into anger, we are the ones who suffer more for our own hatred than those we inflict with our hate. We turn the knife on ourselves, as well as others.

I can’t say that I agree with racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, or the bullying of entire groups of people based on their religion, class, sexual preference, or gender identity. But the truth is… to “hate” them (the racists, the homophobes, the xenophobes, and the misogynists)  – even to berate them, belittle them, and call them on their ignorance is essentially reinforcing the ideology that what they are doing is OK – because we lead by example. Hating them is the exact same thing as them hating me, or anyone else, for any reason… It’s still hate.

The truth is…  I don’t want to fight anymore. I’m tired of looking at the world around me and thinking it could crumble at any given moment. I’m choosing not to be afraid anymore.

I’m not afraid of Trump becoming president – because I know God is within me, and so long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other, I do so knowing that I am not alone. Good will triumph over evil.

I’m not afraid of anyone else’s free will. We all have a thing or two (to put it gently) to learn on our own personal walks. None will ever become an impedance on mine.

I’m not afraid of bigots and racists. I will always stand up for the oppressed, but I will do so with kindness and mercy. Give them grace – they need to learn this very valuable lesson, anyway. I’m going to show them, in the hopes that someday that seed will touch fertile ground within their souls. (I’m not the first to have this dream.)

I know I can’t fix the world around me – any more than I can expect any candidate for president to fix all of these broken, and fearful people.

The only thing any of us can really do is fix ourselves. Let that seed that someone else who showed us kindness take root in our souls and pay it forward. Embrace those around us with love and mercy. Lead by example – it’s easy to be kind to someone who is kind to us, it’s being kind to those who are not that takes extreme courage and integrity.

I implore you all to take a close look at your own fears, and examine them fully. Make the necessary effort to face those fears.

And please, drop the knife.

To The Magistrate At My Social Security Disability Hearing

It’s Saturday, July 18th and my hearing is just under a month away. As it happens, this is one of the more troubling days that I’ve had in the past month, however, none of those days have been in what I would call my “optimum efficiency range.”

Saying “I’m in pain today” doesn’t quite cover it. I’ve tried stretching, cold packs, a hot bath, laying down, sitting up, standing up, moving, and that’s all not to mention the over-the-counter pain medicines I take almost fiendishly. Nothing has worked, nothing is working, and I’m forced to just endure. This is a typical “day in the life,” for me.

At times, the pain can make me feel nauseous or faint – it can cause vertigo as well. I couldn’t leave the house if I wanted to, or do the most basic household duties. (Please understand, that some days I can’t avoid doing certain duties because of how important they are. Examples are: Taking care of my son, washing day old dishes, cleaning up spills, vacuuming my son’s bedroom floor, preparing meals, or any other household related “emergency” that happens within the course of a day.) I have no choice but to do certain things, even under extreme circumstances within the confines of my body. Do NOT mistake my disability for “laziness.”

Today, I can’t even wear a bra, or stand up to bathe. But let’s examine the “I can’ts” a little further, since I am being examined for whether or not I will recover within a year or less.

I can’t shower more than twice a week because of the bending over, and prolonged “standing in one spot,” that is involved. Well, you could say I “would be able to take a bath” – and I do. However, it’s impractical to wash my hair in a bath due to extreme hair loss and tangles. Even if I brush my hair before I get in, it’s still too much of a problem. For this reason, at least ONE of my bathing adventures has to be a shower. Period. You could say I “need a stool.” And you’re right, I do. But who can afford something like that with no income and limited resources?

I can’t spend more than a couple of hours *on a good day* doing regular house work. This gets insane, because with a two year old, I no sooner clean it, then it gets destroyed again. I haven’t had a “good day” since around June 18th, so yesterday I forced myself to vacuum, mop, do dishes, organize things a bit, and cook dinner. I’m paying for that little escapade today in that I’m in more pain than I have been this entire month – this entire month of “bad days,” so that’s really saying a lot.

I can’t sleep for more than two hours at a time, and I dread each night as sleep time approaches because mornings are –  The. Worst. I’m stuck in a loop. I hit my peak of the day at around 8-9pm and have the energy (fatigue wanes) and as little pain as I ever have – between 8pm and midnight. That means that when everyone is sleeping, and I can’t do anything around the house – I feel ok. FINALLY.  As far as the broken sleep goes, I have multiple areas of concern in relation to pain, so it doesn’t matter which way I lay, SOMETHING hurts. This requires almost constant tossing and turning. Just “going to bed,” for me, is a two-three hour process of excruciating torture. Aaannnd then there’s the morning…

I can’t handle a pen, fork, spoon, or other small utensil in the morning, due to hand swelling and numbness. This has been the bane of my existence for well over a year already. I lose all function of my “Pincer Grip” in the morning. It has gotten so bad that I can barely move/squeeze my hand. I’ve been tested multiple times for diabetes because of this, and all has come back negative. This particular problem is one where I had thought “Maybe this is the worst it could ever get.” Then six months later, I am blindsided by something I never imagined would happen to ME. This has been consistent for the last 4 years, at least. Always pushing to get better, always achieving an entirely new “low.”

I can’t hold my son longer than to put him in his crib – or get him out, on “bad days.” I don’t have to describe how devastating that is. I just want to love on him, giggle with him, roll around on the floor, play with him, cuddle him, pick him up JUST to kiss his chubby cheeks, hold him up so we can see out of the window and pick out things he knows the words of… but I can’t. That doesn’t mean that on those days – or any other – that he doesn’t get the love and care that he needs. It’s just provided for by someone other than me, his mommy. This one makes me cry so hard on some days. I try not to feel sorry for myself – but this it’s hard to hold back because of how much I love him.

I can’t go up or down stairs. That doesn’t mean that I don’t. This has gotten much worse since I’ve gained weight – which brings me, swiftly, to my next point here…

I can’t exercise in the ways I should in order to lose weight. Note that I don’t say only “I can’t exercise.” This is because I LOVE TO DANCE. Dancing helps, too. I can’t do it as often as I want to, but when I do – it’s a real mood changer. I have tried multiple exercise routines/workouts and while I can do SOME of the “moves,” I find that the ones that I really can’t do are the ones that are the most effective at burning fat/calories. Even just WALKING is nearly impossible for about 1/3 out of every month. I never thought that I’d have to be selective about the days I am able to go grocery shopping – let alone do a cardio workout. (So much for a “social life.”) And what “average” person can afford a trainer???

I can’t lift anything heavier than a kitchen utensil/frying pan/pot. Again, this is not to say that I don’t… because you gotta do what you gotta do. But I pay for (in pain and fatigue) every single strenuous thing I do. And you can forget lifting ANYTHING from the floor. If it’s not waist level or higher – NOPE.

I can’t endure long periods exposed to “extremes” of hot or cold. I did away with winter altogether because every winter, it seemed, I was adding a new “symptom” to my already staggering amount of issues. Florida is my new home now, and my choice to move here was largely based on my health. Then I got here right at the cusp of summertime, and realized that extreme heat is not good either. But I’m hoping that there are “three seasons” of reasonable temperatures here where simply going outside isn’t a major concern of mine.

I can’t do my hair or make-up most days. So I’ve evolved from this sassy girl who wears extreme colors of hair dye (preceding health problems making it impossible to get a job anyway, so why not?!) and caring about how I looked when I went out – to that girl who always wears her hair in a ponytail and no make-up. Lifting my arms has, in the past year, become a problem for me. When I lift them (on moderate to bad days) my hands/arms go pins and needles. And there’s that thing about the pincer grip mentioned before.

I can’t get up from the floor without help, or something intermediary to hoist myself up with.  This one has been an issue since I was 19 or 20 right after my accident. This one will NEVER go away, not even with extensive therapy. I have an entire portion of muscle missing from my right thigh, and that means that any independent motion involving that muscle is impossible. (For readers who don’t know, I broke my right femur and it tore my front thigh muscle to about 40% efficiency.)

I can’t process my emotions effectively. Just like your internet connection has a “bandwidth,” so do I. So much of my existence is centered around trying to drown out my pain and fatigue with mind-numbing coping methods – that I can’t really even acknowledge that I HAVE emotions at all. There’s just no room in my head for them. Also, trying to take my brain out of the equation of what I feel physically = taking my brain out of feeling just about everything else. Because there’s no way to separate the physical from the emotional “feelings,” they both get indiscriminately zoned out JUST so I can get through a day without going insane. On the plus side of this one – I really don’t sweat the “small stuff.” However, this is potentially problematic during a crisis – because what typically takes a person a few weeks or months “getting over it,” takes me at least twice that time, if at all. </3

The question when determining whether or not I am disabled comes down to this. Will it last longer than a year?

In short, YES. Because it has lasted my entire adult life and inhibited my ability to feel “normal,” in every possible way I can think of. It has been steadily gaining speed and intensity every year since my car accident in 2003. Certain symptoms became debilitating around 2007, and I fought through them, and tried to work, and tried to be “normal,” and failed over and over.

I’ve had to suck up my pride because people have accused me of “faking it,” assuming I was just lazy or incompetent. I’ve had to apologize because my “good days,” are somehow misleading to others as to how genuine my illness really is. On average about 1/4 of my entire year is made up of “good days.” I only ever see people on a good day…

The emotional side to my illness is also somewhat debilitating. To not be acknowledged for something I live with every single day is basically like saying I’m invisible. And I basically am because I can’t do what “normal” people do in order to maintain friendships and relationships. I’m so wrapped up in the state of my body at any given moment that I might even come off as self-centered.

I really need your help. I’m so tired of trying to do this on my own. I need guidance. I need financial security. I need to feel the pleasure of knowing I’m FINALLY self-sufficient MORE than I need to feel the full weight of my physical problems resting firmly on my own (already overburdened and sore) shoulders.

Invisible illnesses are real, and we hide from the world so as not to be guilty in the court of public opinion. It’s hard enough having to deal with all of this (and more!) without being illegitimized by just about everyone.

I don’t know how I could convince you more, so here’s to hoping I win my case.