We are approaching an election that can potentially make or break the future for millions of Americans.
It can continue the era of Trumpism, normalized white supremacy, and disparaging inequalities that create insurmountable debts for so many people, while those within the top 1 percent continue to profiteer off those who continue to struggle.
Or, we can end this long nightmare and create a much brighter future. One where we can destroy the socioeconomic barriers that prevent people from going to college. One where people don't risk dying because they can't afford to go to the hospital. One where no one needs to work more than one job to make ends meet. And one where we can change the culture when it comes to America's stained legacy of racism and white supremacy.
When we understand these issues, it's imperative that we choose the best candidate that has a longstanding track record on these issues. And while we do this, we should choose someone who inspires all of us to do more, to help someone we don't know because we recognize their human right to happiness.
A presidential candidate also needs to have the "it" factor that mobilizes voters of every background to make a difference in this fractured country.
Bernie Sanders is the best candidate in this race to do just that.
Sanders can unite the country, amend its woes and defeat Trump and his cancerous ideology. Sanders has been consistent on the issues facing our nation for so long. He was arrested for protesting segregation at the University of Chicago. He has normalized the narrative of Medicare-for-All in Democratic discourse and has opposed the longstanding practice of deportation in this country built by immigrants.
Sanders is also the first presidential candidate to come to Chicago to support the striking teachers this year. He was also the first presidential candidate to denounce the coup ousting Evo Morales as president of Bolivia and the only presidential candidate willing to speak out for the Palestinian people.
Some might call him radical, and some others might call him insane. But the reality is that poll after poll shows that Sanders beats Trump with the widest margin compared to other Democratic candidates.
The American people do not want half-measures and exhausted talking points being spewed by many of the candidates in this race. Whether it be Pete Buttigieg — who has a concerning record of racist mishaps in his native South Bend and his acceptance of donations from pharmaceutical executives — or Joe Biden, who simply thinks being President Obama's vice president is a personality trait.
As Sanders has consistently shown, he is the most transparent and honest candidate.
But don't take my word for it. Take Mayor Pete's, who once wrote an essay in high school praising Senator Sanders for his boldness against the political elite in Vermont.
There is also Elizabeth Warren. I will forever be grateful for Senator Warren for being my first exposure to progressive politics. With that being said, I think that she does not have the power to court the political movement that Sanders built in 2016. People know Sanders more than her, and for that it may be a hard sell for progressives. Warren has done tremendous work in the United States Senate — and I personally won't be mad if she's the nominee — and we need someone like her to continue to be there.
This election very well can define our lives.
Drastic times call for desperate measures, the saying goes. Bernie Sanders has both the plan and the character that can throw a monkey wrench in this endless machine of inequality that is gripping our country. This will be my first presidential election where I will cast my vote and I am so proud that it will be cast for Senator Bernie Sanders.
