As every well-informed citizen of America knows, we are in the middle of a presidential election year. What started out long ago for some candidates is only now taking off for others. The 2016 presidential election will go down in the books for many things, but the one aspect that I, personally, am most excited for is the democratic candidate Bernie Sanders.
Bernie Sanders is a senator from Vermont. He was raised in Brooklyn, New York City, and graduated from the University of Chicago. I firmly support Senator Sanders and his campaign for presidential office for many reasons, however, many people call into question many things about the self-proclaimed democratic socialist. Here are five reasons why I am voting Bernie Sanders.
Bernie Sanders advocates for gay rights.
I know what you must be thinking, "So does Hillary Clinton." Let’s look at a little history. Bernie Sanders is known for being a civil rights activist in the 1960s. He has held strong positions throughout the years advocating for civil rights and civil liberties. He has a long history of supporting the rights of all people, whether they are white, black, heterosexual, homosexual, male, female, etc. Bernie Sanders even voted against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.
Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has a rather odd history on this topic. Until 2013, she actually openly opposed same-sex marriage. It wasn’t until the popular opinion on the topic flipped that hers also changed. Good job hopping on the first bandwagon that passes you, Clinton.
Bernie Sanders wants to break up the banks.
I know that a lot of my friends don’t understand this one. Until recently, neither did I. In a nutshell, banks that are “too big to fail” need to become smaller. This is where I cough out the words "Wall Street" into my sleeve. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has zero issue with accepting money from these banks (Wall Street). If we want to get out of the hands of the system, how is taking the system’s money doing any good?
Bernie Sanders does not accept money from large corporations.
Speaking of Wall Street and their money, Bernie Sanders has done and continues to do something that no candidate in American history has before accomplished. He has funded his entire campaign with contributions from individuals averaging, you guessed it, $27. He refuses to take money from large corporations and banks.
Hillary Clinton won’t turn you away if you give her $27, but her campaign is being funded largely by Wall Street and large corporations. She’s even made remarks about turning away other country officials who wish to make donations. She is paid to give speeches by certain businesses. How are we supposed to expect Clinton to stand up for the American people if she is so deep in the pockets of Wall Street and other large investors?
Bernie Sanders supports the legalization of marijuana.
Many things get packed into this support. For one, look at how much money legalizing marijuana has made the state of Colorado. The amount of money that the state is collecting off of marijuana taxes is really helping the state’s economy. They have more money than they can spend. Next, look at the number of people who are incarcerated for drug use and distribution in the United States. The Land of The Free has more people in prison than communist China. It’s not cheap to have all those people living off of our tax dollars in jail. Hillary Clinton doesn’t support the legalization of marijuana. Think about this.
Bernie Sanders is a true progressive.
Just look at the facts. Bernie Sanders is fighting for equality and civil liberties for all Americans that Hillary Clinton only jokes about. Sanders addresses a wide variety of topics, whether it is college education, gender pay equality, or a livable minimum wage. Clinton has tried to switch her views in the past couple years, but Bernie’s track record wins out every time when compared to Hillary Clinton.
I could bring up topic after topic for you and explain why Bernie Sanders is the right choice for America. I could explain to you that Hillary Clinton is the establishment that she claims to be fighting against. I could tell you why Sanders is the best choice for Americans who want to keep moving forward. These are five of the many reasons why I, personally Feel the Bern. I encourage you to go online and do some research about each of these candidates. Whatever you do, be an educated voter. I can’t tell you why you should vote for Bernie Sanders, but these are a handful of the reasons why I not only support Sanders, but I am proud to call myself a Bernie Sanders supporter.
