opinion

Sanders’ openness a nice surprise for rally guest

I went to the large rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders in Ames on May 30 and the most surprising thing about the experience should not have been a surprise, but he said right at the beginning of his remarks that he would take questions! And he did!

That just doesn’t seem to happen much anymore at a large rally with presidential hopefuls. Candidates from both parties prefer to give a scripted stump speech and dash off to the next event waving and smiling, maybe sign a few autographs or pose for quick picture.

Bernie has been sharing a consistent message for a long time and demonstrated he is a real champion for everyday folks. He has railed against the fraudulent practices of the banking industry, pledged to break up big banks, decried the cost of higher education and the burden of debt placed on students, called for raising the minimum wage and over-hauling a corporate health care system that is rigged in favor of profits over cures and quality care.

Bernie’s stance on issues is clearly passionate, and he is fearless in his commitment to those ideas and not afraid to engage in dialogue with “we the people.” And that is refreshing.

— Cherie Mortice, Des Moines