Dear Bernie or Bust

Russell Hartley
I know some of us had high hopes (I know I did) that Bernie would fare better at this
point and somehow find a way to clinch the Democratic nomination, but its become evident that
we will now have to ease ourselves into the idea that we may be voting for someone else in
November.
But for a brief moment, Im going to speak directly to my fellow Bernie supporters and
ask that we all temporarily put our emotions aside. We have to understand that although many of
us support Bernie based off his ideas, principals, and stances on very key issues, we all at one
point heard some of our own voices come out of his mouth. Even with a campaign that has set
out to be all about the issues it is almost inevitable that his supporters feel some sort of
emotional connection to the candidate. It happens with every election. It happens with every
candidate. We see some of ourselves in those we support, and it hurts that much more if and
when their campaigns finally come to a disappointing end.
But the impact of his campaign is about much more than a Bernie Sanders ticket in the
general election. We all learned a lot about the primary election process over the past few
months, and weve all seen how undemocratic many of its aspects are. Mostly being the use of
super delegates that were used to persuade voters that their votes for Bernie were actually less
significant than they actually were. But most of all, the fact that Hillary was awarded delegates
not only before many states primaries, but that she had the pledged support of over one hundred
delegates before Bernie even announced he was running.

As undemocratic as all of that seems, it is just as undemocratic for those under the
Bernie or Bust movement (or any disengaged voters) to refuse to vote in this years general
election. To turn our back on the election is to allow someone like Donald Trump to become the
President of the United States. And you owe it to yourself, those you love, and the future
generations to do what is in your power to never allow that to become a reality.
For those who follow the ideas and words of Bernie Sanders, then dont stop listening.
Many Bernie supporters were furious at the media for not paying attention to Sanders until they
realized he had a realistic chance at becoming President. Now that his chances have been
diminished, dont follow the lead of the media and mute his message; hes still talking. If you
listen to what Bernie is saying now, you would know that he is urging his supporters to vote
against Trump, and he is emphasizing the importance of this almost on a daily basis. If youre a
true supporter of Bernie Sanders, then realize that this fightour fight doesnt end with his
campaign. Bernie has never validated the Bernie or Bust movement and his wife has spoken out
against it.
I know that those who we elect to represent us rarely ever represent anyone but those
who fund their campaigns. But voting has never truly been about voting for someone who
reflects each and every one of our own values. As much as we want to believe in this illusion, we
would never actually vote for anyone besides ourselves to represent us, because no one else can.
Voting has always been about voting for the best candidate given limited choices. That system
may be inherently flawed, but we must stop believing this fantasy that we could vote for anyone
to truly represent us to a T. We all have unique life experiences, and therefore we all have
different perspectives on the world. As much as I see myself in Bernie Sanders, I also know that
there is at least one aspect of his policies that I may see differently. I get it, the limited choices of

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are nauseating, but make no mistake, one candidate is quite
different than the other, and each candidate would pull us in a completely different direction.
Maybe instead of trying to convince you that your vote matters, lets instead look at the
warrant of your refusal to participate. As upset as you might feel with how the Democratic Party
(or government in general) has almost but muted your voice, what really is the point in not
voting? Because whatever your reasoning is, you have to understand this cold truth. Your silent
rebellion will do nothing. Your defiance will send no immediate message and your reluctance to
engage will only worsen the situation. The establishment will not kowtow to your refusal and all
you will do is make it easier for their handpicked nominees to get elected. Nothing will change
because of your disengagement. I can promise you that. If we all gave in to this nihilism
(realistic or not) then the Bernie campaign would have been a short lived and rather insignificant
one. It was hope that through political participation validated those progressive ideals and
prompted a national discussion on issues such as income inequality and the democracy in
question when it came to the electoral process. Because we acted on our hope and not our
cynicism, we started a movement that will only pick up steam the more we become involved in
the political process. An individual can only do so much, but it is movements that can be a
catalyst to real change. Many of us stopped paying so much attention to the election after
Bernies chances turned bleak, but there is clear evidence that the affects of the political
revolution have made its way into proposed policy. The Democratic Party has adopted some of
the very same ideas that Bernie pushed through the campaign trail over the previous months.
They now overtly support a $15 an hour minimum wage effort, a push for free public higher
education for families with income of up to $125,000 a year (83% of Americans), a path to
legalize marijuana and several other amendments concerning income inequality, reduced military

spending and protection against bad trade deals (i.e. TPP). This whole idea of a political
revolution may not have reached its full impact, but it is clear that it has started to reshape the
party that will likely continue its control of the oval office. What Im trying to say is that our
fight wasnt to get an individual into office, but his ideas. And I think weve set the framework
for a more liberal party, country and Hillary Clinton to continue Sanders work. We can look to
any civil rights and civil liberties movements as proof that coalitions have the ability to change
policy. But persistence can only be defeated by pessimism.
If you want to protest, then protest. If you want to express your dissatisfaction with
politics in general, then express away. But vote. Instead of refusing to vote to express your anger
with the election process, vote to express your refusal to allow principals based on bigotry and
fear-mongering to reach the White House. Given the rhetoric of this election cycle, there may be
greater threats to America besides undemocratic voting practices. Just because our government
has failed to live up to our democratic standards, doesnt mean that we are allowed to do the
same.
Voting is not a strenuous process for most of us (although I acknowledge unfair voter
registration practices in many counties and states). If you have a voice and believe in your ideas
and opinions, then shouldnt you go just one step further from expressing your political views on
Facebook and actually spread your influence in a tangible way? It may not make the biggest
difference in the world, but is asking for political participation for ten minutes out of every four
years really unreasonable? Maybe you think I sound self-righteous here, but I dont understand
how as a country we complain (and maybe justifiably so) that we have little to no influence over
our government and yet we think that squandering the influence that we do have will in turn
increase our political power. Our silence and inaction is self-defeating. No one will listen to us

just because we decide to stop talking. We are the people. And we only lose all of our power
when we allow them to convince us that we dont matter.