opinion

Letter: Bernie Sanders — Maybe there’s hope for our country after all

This week, I was in a parking lot handing out Bernie Sanders info sheets. I stood outside a pickup cab and talked to the Republican driver. We shared a lot of common ground. Suddenly, he looked down and quietly said, “I have no future!” Chilled, I thought about how many people feel this way, about my children, grandchildren, and why, at the age of 79, I was trudging parking lots, passing out fliers, and talking up a candidate. Bernie is the first hope that I’ve had in many years.

Here is someone who has been saying the same thing for 40 or 50 years. No Johnny-Come-Lately who spouts what he/she thinks people want to hear. Here’s someone who walks the walk and stands up for the middle class, the poor, and people of color. A four-time mayor of Burlington, Vermont, he formed coalitions that founded small businesses, turned renters into homeowners and established community trusts. Burlington still bears Bernie’s legacy and is a vibrant and thriving town.

We’ve been sold down the river! Businesses sent overseas, money floated to the top, and now, with TPP, we may lose our sovereignty. The party doesn’t matter. One candidate who complains about illegal immigrants used them to build his towers, and reportedly paid them $5 an hour. Going bankrupt four times, he never invested his own money, but let investors and banks pay his bills. Another is a corporate raider; another takes lots of corporate money. Bernie’s maximum worth is estimated under $800,000 and he is limiting donations to $2,600. Who do you suppose will best represent the people? Bernie is against TPP and he has never run a negative campaign. He focuses on issues and facts. Feel the Bern! Maybe there’s hope after all.

-Patricia P. Tursi, Springfield

Editor’s note: This Sunday feature aims to give special recognition to a letter (under 300 words) that stands out for impact, style or in another intriguing way.