Dear Senator Bernie Sanders,

Thank you for giving me a chance to believe in something. I saw the need for change in our country, starting with the corruption in politics. You helped me feel like I could be a part of that change along with so many other citizens across the nation.

I will admit, I was not sure how I felt about you when I first heard rumors you would be running for president. So, I decided to be an informed voter and do some research. At this point, everyone still believed Donald Trump was running as a joke...

I checked out your website and as time went on, I continued to watch interviews and read articles. I was honestly amazed that a politician could be so great of an advocate for truth and justice. I still was not sure who to vote for, but thought I would keep my eye on you.

Then, in one of my classes, we learned about the difference between social democracy and liberalism. You, of course, were the socialist democrat and Hillary Clinton was the liberal. I described how your website and Senate votes reflected a socialist democratic model and how Clinton's website and Senate votes contradicted the principles of liberalism. Anyways, this paper required copious amounts of research and hours in the library, but I gained a lot of knowledge.

A few months earlier, I struggled to identify closely to one political party and settled for being "fiscally conservative, socially liberal." When people asked me about it, I said I did not really believe in political parties because they have specific platforms, and there was no party that had both Republican and Democratic beliefs.

It was so hard because I did not feel justified as an American to not belong to any political party. That may sound silly, but being a part of a political party is a large part of an individual’s identity. A political party is a community of citizens who believe and express the same or similar ideas about the political, economic and social aspects of America. Where was my community?

That question went unanswered for a long time, until you announced your campaign for presidency. After so many people drilling me about my reasoning for not identifying with one party or the other, and pushing me to “just pick one,” I had enough.

You stood up for so many Americans by speaking the truth. And, I was united with supporters across the nation who believe in you for various reasons, whether it was one specific issue of your platform, an interview, a speech or the belief that you would bring positive change.

Although many people think you failed because you were not the Democratic nominee, I think you won. There are still so many Bernie supporters across the nation who will fight for what you have fought for the past year. Thank you for uniting a generation that was torn between two parties and only has ever wanted the truth. Thank you for giving me a chance to believe in positive change.

Thank you for running for president.

Sincerely,

Bernie Sanders Supporters Everywhere