Bernie Sanders has changed me. No, I am not an American. No,
I have no vote in the upcoming election. I am registered as neither a Democrat
nor a Republican. I am a Canadian... but nonetheless, I have been changed by
Bernie Sanders.
I’m not sure how it happened, but am equally unsure of why
it doesn’t happen to more people. I find Bernie to be infectious, in such a
good way. He is like the coming of spring, when we pull back the curtains,
throw open the window, and breathe new life. I find myself taking mental walks
in fresh fields, brimming with potential, seeing possibilities where none
existed before.
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| (Yes, I know it's photoshopped, but how could I resist?) |
I wax poetic? Well, maybe. I admit that. But I also have to
admit that I see ‘patriotism’ differently. It’s not waving flags, or wearing
the Stars and Stripes, or in my case a maple leaf, on the arse of my jeans, or
as a bikini top to cover my far-too-ample bosom. Love of a flag means nothing.
Putting a hand over heart while reciting empty platitudes is insulting to
others, especially if that is all you do. It absolutely is not a catchword to be used to justify sending young men and women to war that is intended only to benefit corporate campaign donors. ‘Patriotism’ is a love not just of
country but of the people who live in that country – ALL of them; the poor, the
sick, the challenged, the lost, and yes, especially those who would put on a
uniform and protect the rest of us. It is respect for the people who make up
the country, and a respect for their struggles and their sacrifices. It is a
desire to see that the ideals that created the character of the country are
attainable by everyone.
While I like to think of myself as progressive enough to not
buy into the general social opinion of people, because of Bernie, I see that I
can and should do more to ensure that this general social opinion changes. I
didn’t think I looked down on the poor, or that I avoided people of a different
culture, but I know now that I also didn’t do enough to make a difference to
them. We all get wrapped up in the struggle to make it through another day when
the corporate and institutionalized deck is stacked against us, but now I have
a new appreciation of the fact that in order to make MY struggle easier, I have
an obligation to help lessen those struggles of others as well.
We do need banks and corporations, but we do not need them
voting in elections, while more of the people are shut out of the process. We
do need oil companies, but they need to respect and be responsible to the
people and the environment, not demand those entities continue to sacrifice
that which is essential to life. We do need people who govern and who bring
differing opinions and insights to the table, but we absolutely do not need
those who care about nothing but their own bank accounts and raising money for
the next election, and who will cut off their own noses to save their far-too-partisan
faces. Governing should be about doing what is right not because of party
lines, but because it is right, but right is a concept that has been totally
sacrificed on the altar of maintaining power at any cost. Elections should not
be about who has the most money. They must be about the ability, integrity and
character of the person whose name is on the ballot, and nothing more. None of
these revelations are new to me, but they are now, perhaps, seen with new
perspective – through that newly opened window. Two months ago, I would have
said no, it’s pie in the sky, but now? Hell yes, we do have it in us. We do
have the strength, the conscience, the ability and now the means to see a
change.
So why do I care about who wins the election in a country
that is not mine? The close proximity is one reason. The fact that our
economies are so closely linked is another. But the real reason is because we
see this hatred, strife, self-centered leadership in so many places, in the
governmental institutions of so many countries now, in schools, in companies,
in the workplace – Bernie is the first domino, the most important one, and once
allowed to take action, his words and logic, his integrity and passion to do
the right thing, his love of and respect for the people he wishes to represent,
and his inherent desire for equality, will be contagious. It will set the
standard for others. It will show that all of us – companies, governments, people
and establishments – can work harmoniously together. It will show that good can
triumph, that bullies and fear-mongers have no place leading others. This is George
McFly come to life, putting Biff back in his place. This is the modern
developed world getting back to business, back to the future, because now, as
Bernie changes us all for the better, we once again have a future to plan for.
