If you know me well, you know that I am a Bernie Sanders supporter. Heck, if you stumble across my Facebook or get stuck behind my car waiting for a train, you could probably figure out that I want Bernie to be our next president. I would like to share why I am such a passionate supporter.

I support Bernie Sanders because he leads with compassion and has integrity and the passion to reform our country.

In a 2015 interview, Barbara Walters asked Bernie what he would like to be known for if he were elected president. His response: compassion. Bernie’s compassion is clear — from his votes at the Capitol to his platform as a presidential candidate. This compassion often puts him on the right side of history, as did his vote against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and his willingness to speak out against apartheid. He continues to lead with compassion today with his support of a living wage and Medicare for all.

Bernie defies a common stereotype of politicians: he does not say or do what’s popular or politically beneficial; he says and does what he believes in. In fact, in 1986, he authorized and supported the first gay pride parade in Burlington, Vermont: the right choice, but certainly not popular at the time. Bernie’s vote against the Iraq War was also unpopular; now a majority of Americans believe the war was a mistake. Looking even farther back, he campaigned for LGBTQ rights, health care for all, fairer taxes on corporations, fewer military engagements, a more sensible drug policy and women’s rights in 1976 (two years before I was born) in an unsuccessful bid for governor. Bernie doesn’t change his views because of popularity or political benefit. That, right there, is integrity.

Bernie’s activism demonstrates his passion to better our country. As a 21-year-old student, Bernie was arrested for protesting segregated Chicago schools after chaining himself to two black women and refusing to move. A year later, he participated in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington. Now, at age 77, he marches with workers for higher wages and uses his prominence to target big corporations such as Amazon, Disney, Walmart and McDonald’s in the fight for a living wage.

Compassion, integrity and a strong passion to better our country aren’t just qualities I desire in a president; they are qualities that I believe are necessary to get our country on a positive path.

If you would like to find out more about Bernie Sanders, go to berniesanders.com.

Angie Hanson

Albert Lea