Dangit, Bernie!!!

Dear Bernie,
I'm sure most of your current and past supporters will share my sentiment when I say I am utterly disappointed at the outcome of the Democratic Convention. However, I am SO incredibly proud to be a Berniecrat! I've learned a great deal through this process and I feel like I have really been awakened!

Bernie, during your campaign, you showed everyone what it truly means to be classy, respectable, and diplomatic. Immediately following the primaries, I was more proud of your grace than ever, even though you endorsed Hillary.  You are extremely accomplished in so many ways, and most notably, you were successful in driving the Democratic platform in a more progressive way than ever before. No, you did not win the Democratic nomination, but I kept thinking about how you won in your real fight.

I kept posting #BernieHasWon, I changed my Twitter name to that at one point, and I still proudly wore my Bernie t-shirt.  You not only inspired me to get more involved, but also taught me to examine the information provided by the media and closely scrutinize it. I've learned that all too often, things are not as they appear, so research is sometimes necessary in order to find the truth. I've found myself actively engaging people to discuss the political climate and continually disseminating the findings of my research. I even started an online radio show to try to spread true, factual information called #JustSayin'.  I was encouraged by you and I have a newly ignited flame to ensure changes are made to benefit our great country moving forward.

Libertarian Party Candidate Gary Johnson (left) 
Green Party Candidate Jill Stein (right)

That flame you ignited has certainly been blazing lately, as you are now campaigning for Hillary.  With all due respect, what the heck are you thinking campaigning for her?  I watched you CBS's "Face the Nation” when you said "This moment in history for a presidential election is not the time for a protest vote".  You started this revolution, sir.  Millions of us are now accustomed to researching everything online because we know the mainstream media (MSM) is biased.  You taught us this; you taught us to research so thoroughly and now we know things about Hillary we never knew prior to your campaign.  You can’t unlearn the truth!  I have to ask…why would you assume voting for a third party is a protest vote?   My vote will not be a protest vote; my vote will be for the only presidential candidate in the election who actually has a platform (virtually identical to your platform) that represents the American PEOPLE. 

Hillary Clinton does not represent me.  She covers up wrong-doings then lies when confronted with her own mistakes, she is responsible for the deaths of too many innocent people across the world, she takes money from the very same companies she supposedly will fight against, and she supported the TPP right up until she started running for president.  In fact, she chose a VP who was one of only thirteen Democratic senators to vote FOR the fast track!  How, in any way, could you support her?

You later went on to say in that same episode of “Face the Nation” that "It's time to look at which candidate will work best for the middle class and working families".  But what if that candidate IS the third party candidate?  Why would voting for someone with an almost identical platform to yours a bad idea now?  How can you say this, when your brother, Larry Sanders, the long-time Health Spokesperson of the Green Party of England and Wales, has now taken an even higher position as MP for Witney and West Oxfordshire?  We cannot change the two-party system climate by continuing to vote for people in one of the two parties just because the candidate is in one of those parties.

Going back to the Democratic primary race, I honestly respect you for fighting to the end.  I was distraught at the results, but I continued to believe in you and everything you started.  You looked worn out and possibly injured during the Democratic National Convention, so I cannot blame you for staying out of the press for a little while afterwards.  Those were the days I was looking up to you the most, believe it or not, because you were such a gentleman about the whole situation.  

Despite your efforts, I, like so many millions of voters, would have never voted for Hillary Clinton, even if you never ran.  The fact that you not only endorsed Hillary but now you are campaigning for her continues to fathom me.  She is everything you despise.  She represents the polar opposite of everything for which you have fought for so long.  You do not go from being a man of such outstanding character and passion for helping the working class to supporting and campaigning for a candidate who is more Republican than Democratic, who stands for the opposite of what you do, and who has absolutely no morals. 

Many people are very angry at you.  And of course, with social media as big as it is today, I have seen all kinds of negative things said about you.  People say you a are a traitor, a sellout, that you’ve been bought, etc.  I know all of the insults must hurt, considering how much of your life you have dedicated to fighting for the people....the real people.  The worker bees of the nation, if you will.  I will not pretend I was not angry when you first "endorsed" Hillary, but I don’t believe the way others do and I do not completely blame you for your recent actions.  This is because I have come to conclusion that the words you are speaking do not come from you; I believe you are being coerced in some way.  I have to believe that the reason you are campaigning for Hillary is one of two things: either you know something we don’t know OR because you are being threatened.  These two options are the only things that actually do make sense about your recent behavior.    

So let’s address the first option: you know something we don’t know.  I have sat and pondered upon the various things you could know that could be so damning to our country for you to campaign for the enemy.  I honestly cannot imagine what it could be.  Trump?  Yes, Trump’s presidency is scary for many people.  But you have always fought so hard for what you DO believe that I just don’t see you being a fearful man and truly supporting Hillary out of fear.  Plus, while I could go on all day about Trump’s flaws, he is not in bed with the politicians the way Hillary is so Congress would not let him get away with TOO much, but he opposes the TPP and has since day 1.  So I can’t think that his becoming President would be your motivation.  Is it about a position you were promised if Hillary is elected?  I have considered this as well, since you are a career politician.  However, I believe your character outweighs your appeal to a better job, so I can’t imagine that you are motivated by promises of a position in her cabinet. 

That leads me to my second theory: you are being threatened.  No, I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I am realistic.  If it was you who was being threatened, I do not believe you would be acting the way you are; I believe you would stay in the good fight and fight until the end.   However, if someone in your family is being threatened, I could certainly envision you doing whatever it takes to keep your family safe.  I don’t know who would threaten you other than Hillary’s people, and the Clintons certainly do have their fair share of questionable deaths around them.  This year alone, there have been four people close to the Clintons who either did, or who were soon to, reveal damning information about the Clintons and found dead of questionable circumstances. (Clinton Body Count),  In fact, there was one one new death just this week.  The family of Angel Rabasa believes Hillary’s people had him killed September 27.  (I will write an article on that when my research and interviews are complete.)

I hate to say this, but I do believe it must be the latter theory.  I hate the thought that I am giving into a “conspiracy theory” (even though I think it is only a conspiracy if it is a one time thing, but this is more of a pattern).  It also pains me to think that anyone in your family is being threatened.  I hate to think about the agony of you having to go on TV and say things you KNOW you do not believe or support.  But I understand because I would probably do the same thing in your shoes.

So thank you, Bernie, for all you have done and inspired others to do. May your legacy be reflected in the history books someday as our future generations learn of the man who inspired millions, then seemingly turned on them, but for a very good reason. I hope you can be accredited with the founding father of the revolution, made up of people who revitalized our country when all hope was almost lost. You are truly a man of honor and I understand your tough position.  

I hope to someday find out the truth, but I am guessing we will never know.  I will always be a Berniecrat, but I cannot side with your words at this time.  I am not voting as a protest; I am voting my conscience.  I am voting for the person who represents my beliefs, since you no longer do.

Your grateful former supporter,

 Mandy Kinney