There are many ways to show your support for a candidate.

Some buy bumper stickers or T-shirts. I, however, took what some might think was an extreme path.

Aartistic Inc, a tattoo parlor in Winooski, Vermont, is giving away free Bernie Sanders tattoos to anyone who wants one. I took this as an opportunity to show my support.

A question that I get asked daily is: “Will you regret it if he does not win?”

The answer is simple: no. Because even if he does not win the nomination, this is just the start of something very big – a movement, more than just a campaign. And, surprising as it may seem, Bernie Sanders has influenced me greatly, even before his candidacy for president of the United States.

I lived in Vermont for 18 years, and I have personally experienced Bernie’s contributions to our state. While mayor of Burlington in the 1980s, he took our waterfront railyard and transformed it into a beautiful landmark of leisure and tourism in for those living in the community and the surrounding area. In May 2015 I had the pleasure of viewing Bernie Sanders announce his presidency on the waterfront. It was an incredible moment for anyone who had Vermont and Senator Sanders near to their heart.

This is why it was so simple for me to do something others might consider so “drastic”. Sanders is truly an iconic figure to me, as I believe he will be so to many others in our country’s future. He will go down in history for starting an uprising of Americans – prompting us to stand up and saying enough is enough. The billionaires own our country’s political system and we want to reclaim our democracy.

I’m 24, but I have never voted in a presidential election before. To tell you the truth, Bernie Sanders is the first candidate who has ever gotten me excited about politics. He is the first candidate who has ever made me feel like he truly cared about the people and was for the people. He doesn’t attack his opposing candidates, and instead focuses on the issues. He has not only opened my eyes, but those of millions of Americans.

My tattoo not only symbolizes my support for Bernie, but also serves as a reminder to myself for years to come: he started something big, a revolution in people’s thinking, that I am so proud to have been a part of.

