Put it on your calendar to switch to the Democratic Party, if you aren't already there, at your earliest convenience. By so doing you are sending a message, albeit somewhat veiled, that you're preparing to vote for Bernie. Secondly, make a pledge to send Bernie of whatever you choose every month. More may be better, but I believe the amount is relatively immaterial. Even $1 would suffice, in my opinion (I've pledged $10 a month). Why? Because you are sending another message that Bernie has the numbers he needs for the votes, and that you are seriously behind him. Indeed, many of us are 100% there now in principle.
Can there be any serious doubt that the Republicans will note this? Or that Hillary will be encouraged to stock up on Depends?
"But I am just one person, what good will my actions do?" I hear you. And I thus defer to that towering giant of a human, the late David Brower, considered by many to be the founder of the modern environmental movement, when I had the good fortune to interview him in the seventies, and asked him that very question: "It makes a great deal of difference," Dave promptly replied. "The one person who acts, multiplied by a few other thousands who act, will make all the difference. There is no other way to get in touch with the people who are making the decisions. The citizens who believe and feel strongly about these matters, but stay silent, are just giving away the game to the people who don't have long-range view in mind, but are willing to be vocal."
I would, in this instance, replace "thousands" by "tens of millions," (from what I read, Bernie already has tens of thousands) and merely note that many hands make light work. Democracy is not a spectator sport. And RIGHT NOW is the critical time for "all hands on deck" and sending a message that WILL be heard.
A few more thoughts. The concern that Bernie will be a sheep dog for Hillary, even if he were to lose in the primaries, may well be unfounded. Yes, it is true that Bernie does what he says. I say this based on my own observations over the years (one of the many reasons I would have befriended him if I had been elected), and from recently talking with relatives in Vermont, who've lived there for decades and are politically aware (my brother, a well-known Vermont photographer, knows Bernie personally and has talked with him on many occasions). When I asked his astute and politically aware wife her take on Bernie, she replied simply, "Well, he does what he says."
Bernie certainly has been steadfast through his political career about doing what he says, near as I can tell. In the event the he does not get past the primaries, I would suggest to him, as he may have already concluded himself, that for once in his life, he should ACT like a politician. He should come out and say, "I lied. I do not support Hillary, I am writing in Jill Stein," or whoever is the strongest, most progressive looking candidate at the time, very possibly himself. The only thing that could stop you from doing that would be whatever struggling brain cells you might be listening to, as opposed to your heart. In such an act, Bernie would be flipping the bird at our corrupt system, the very one that he regularly chastises, and thus in the larger picture doing what would actually be consistent behavior for him.
As for myself, there will be no more hyperventilating, no more wakeful nights, no more reading this and that article, no more waffling, no more spinning of wheels, just simply, quietly, silently doing the two things I mention here, along with placidly discussing these actions with friends and doing what I can, sans stress, online. Join the Democratic Party (you don't have to vote that way in the end if you don't want) and letting Bernie know you are at least cracking your wallet for him, even a small pinch. A dollar or five a month? Please. One cup of coffee at Starbucks would cover half a year, maybe more, if you include tax.
Hey! It actually sounds like fun to me, and I can sure as hell use a little more of that on a regular basis. May we all, for once, have some fun and stop freaking out. Meanwhile, we will surely have enough time and energy left over to do something immediately useful and tangible, such as kicking the fossil fuel folks in the cahunas by cutting our energy usage, growing our gardens, volunteering for a worthwhile and immediate cause, or any number of things on that infinite list.
Lastly, I offer this quote from voteutah.us:
We should run our country and state on principles and good ideas, and money must not taint our decisions. Hopefully that small light in the dark will serve as an example for others in Washington to consider as well. I suggest that you view the $$$ signs that other politicians boast about as a direct reflection of how far these folks have gone in selling out any principles they may have had--and how far they're willing to go in working against your interests.
P.S. In re Hillary, there's
much that can and has been said, largely from her own mouth and actions, but
here's my favorite in case you missed it, condensed into three short, 'hilarious'
paragraphs: click here
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
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