opinion

Sanders a champion of the common man

There has been a lot of talk about the 2016 presidential election in New Jersey, but voters should learn about the best potential candidate: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Bernie Sanders has the leadership experience necessary to serve as President. He has a strong record in Congress of supporting a universal health care system, pro-choice rights, free higher education, LGBT rights, ending the War on Drugs, defending working families from income inequality and opposing wars.

We need to make American workers' rights and our social welfare system comparable to that of European countries, like Sweden and Norway. Sanders' policies would give average Americans the equal opportunity to share in our countries great wealth and to succeed, that the super wealthy currently enjoy.

New Jersey voters should support a potential bid by Sanders to be elected as U.S. President in 2016. We have seen the disasters of self-serving Republican leadership in our state and we need the Independent, Social Democratic wisdom and vision of Sen. Sanders.

Young voters, including high school and college students, should begin building support on their campuses for Sanders through social media and ensure supporters are registered to vote. For young voters, this is our last only chance to take back the country for our generation and put in the social policies and laws we support.

All U.S. citizens age 18 and over on Election Day in November 2016 are eligible to vote.

Eric Hafner

TOMS RIVER