As the Democratic primary approaches, several people have asked me who I plan to vote for in the upcoming presidential election, and everyone, including my parents, are utterly shocked when I say Bernie Sanders. Now, don't get me wrong, I've been a Hillary Clinton fan ever since I can remember, but within the past few months, Sanders has come out swinging in the poles. In September, I attended Sander's rally in Greensboro, where I was met by over 9,000 supporters of the "Political Revolution," which Sanders is utilizing to take the youth vote by storm. Seen as the voice of this generation, Sanders has chosen to address many issues made popular by the voter majority including: reducing college tuition, raising minimum wage, implementing better immigration policies, attacking racial injustice, fighting for women's rights, and reforming Wall Street. Each one of these is a daunting task, but I believe Sander's is equipped to handle revolutionizing this country.
But what makes Bernie Sanders the man for the job? When it comes to voting, we have each been instructed to vote for 'the lesser of two evils', but why does voting have to be that way? If the choice is constantly narrowed down, how can citizens hope to properly elect the best fit for an entire nation? Our civic duty is to support individuals who best represent us, our values, our futures, and our aspirations. My point being, the lesser of two evils is not improved in appearance by comparing it to another evil. The lesser of two evils is still evil. So do we not deserve better?
So now I'm asking you. Do we continue to live in and build a society where candidates are compared and one is found less guilty than the other, or do we begin to evolve with a progressive attitude towards electing those who truly care about our nation and its citizens? Though Sanders is viewed as a democratic socialist and extremist, he's got my vote in the primary on March 15, mainly because I believe Bernie Sanders represents the good in this election and aims to bring a feeling of hope to this country.
