It is time to understand a few things about the Bernie Sanders campaign, movement, and the growing number of people who will gladly identify as Berniecrats. Many of these people also identify as Progressives. We have a lot of independent friends too.

I am writing this in response to an amazing number of dismissive, condescending, and angry comments! It really is a spectacle. I am also writing this to put common and strong sentiments out there in a way easily seen and felt. Given all of the above, this is warranted and reasonable to do.

People call us cultists. People call us stupid. We get called liars, cheats, while Bernie gets called a fraud, egotistical, and more! We are getting bullied, manipulated, scoffed at, abused... and when any of us asks, "why?", "What do you want?" We get told to accept reality. We get told to give up. We get told not to lie, and we get told we are not wanted too.

Let's review the title items:

We aren't asking. Do you know what that really means? It means Bernie and his supporters are participating in an open Democracy. Doing this is legal, ethical, acceptable, and there isn't anyone anywhere with the standing to tell us otherwise. Folks, all of this is the law of the land! In fact, doing this is the intent of the law of the land!

A lot of people seem to not understand why we are doing this, despite a win being very unlikely, however still possible. Why not bow out and all that?

We are paying our own way, and we want to do this. We believe doing it is worth every penny. Simple as that.

Like anyone making an investment, we expect a return on that investment and we have plans and are making more plans to see that return happen! One return is changing the dialog. We have already done that, and more is coming. Another return is to build popular support for economic policy that will benefit those who have the least.

Today, we have a lot of support, and it's growing too.

Running in all 50 States is important to win delegates and potentially prevail in Philly. Hold that thought. I'll get to that in a minute!

It is also important to leave each State equipped with well trained activists who are capable of tapping people money, running effective campaigns and who are ready for action. Unlike other campaigns, this one is employing local people and is well distributed and coordinated across multiple points of action and groups with common cause. This means real coalitions, all able to work together. House parties, rallies, and many other activities are leaving real roots with real potential in all 50 States. We know this is worth it too.

We want people to know someone is willing and able to stand up and work for them. Our own Democratic party has done the middle class, the downtrodden, young and the sick no real favors. The move away from our New Deal roots and toward "Third Way" and "New Democrats" today got us back in the game no doubt. This won elections, but those wins came with a high cost too.

That cost is seen in the poverty, income inequality and dramatic shrinking of the middle class. Democrats! This is not OK, and it must change. The need is too great. Our gains are not enough for way too many Americans to make sense.

Again, this is why we aren't asking! Nobody running right now seems willing to take up the cause, meaning we must, or we just accept that millions of Americans just don't matter enough to worry about.

Millions more are doing just fine! Just shut up and get on the bus, or those bad Republicans will make it even worse! Sound familiar? It should, and those of us doing well like this argument, and will continue to do well and maybe, just maybe something can be done for the ones who aren't... some day, with enough votes, or something.

We, being those with Bernie Sanders, reject this idea completely. There is more than enough for this nation to treat it's own people right, and that is precisely why we aren't asking and we are paying our own way, and we won't go away either!

We won't go away, because the need won't go away. In fact, we believe, and have seen no plausible reason not to believe, electing Clinton won't just make it worse! TPP, the mother of all trade agreements, is so severe in size and scope it is hard to explain how serious the impact on what remains of the middle class will be.

We see Clinton as President being similar to Obama, and they both helped form the TPP and have every indication of signing it. Should that happen, we can kiss real change goodbye for a very long time.

And again, this is being done by Democrats! Completely unacceptable.

For these and many more reasons, Bernie will follow the primary process to its conclusion and will do so with a complete and vigorous effort. There literally are no downsides to doing this! We need more from our government, and it is completely obvious we are going to have to do this ourselves.

We welcome all the help we can get too! It will take a sustained, vigorous effort to take our economic policy left. Yes, left. It is more than warranted, justified, possible to do, and good for the nation, not to do.

Yet we don't see this happening. Why?

Money. Corruption. Yes, it's legal, and yes this does not make anyone in politics evil either. Including Clinton.

We understand Clinton is doing what she knows how to do, and she believes it is best for us to have her do that too. It's not really about that, despite a lot of shitty comments on all sides about it.

We reject that idea too. Many of us see systemic corruption and it's impact on well meaning politicians and the results speak for themselves:

Way too many Americans falling out of the middle class and more on the way.

We can't go away. Nobody else is stepping up to do this, and the need is a simple, basic human need too. I hope you all understand that. It is really important that you do. The entire reason we are here, and that we are paying our own way is driven by this need.

The impact of corruption created this need as well! Everyone here, myself included is complicit.

I can't live with that, which is why I wrote this.

Bernie is stepping up to show us how to fix it, and all of us together are committed to making it better. We have to. Nobody else is!

This goes beyond the primary. We hope to win, but if we don't, we will have built a movement to carry on and address this basic human need.

There is a lot more to say. More complexities too.

Maybe really understanding why we are here, what we are about, why we aren't and do not have to ask, and why we won't just shut up and get on that bus, will lead to more meaningful discussion about those complexities and possibilities. I sure hope so.

One last thing. We are about the possible. We will fix things and improve the party and do whatever else it will take on the way. We want to talk about the possible. We want to talk about the rapidly growing need, and we want to do that to get there faster and better.

If we have to, we will replace people, raise money, do activism, educate people, and anything else that helps us to get there. But, it really does have to be a change in the soul of this party to get there.

We understand that. It won't be pretty, but neither are all the struggles we are fighting to end!

The end of the Primaries is the beginning for us. That could be to kick this effort off with a new President who is working for the people, because we put him there. Or, it may be a 50 State movement to replace Congress with people who work for us, on people money too. Or both!

What you need to understand most is we cannot just shut up and get on that bus, because doing that means giving up on the least of us who need the most so that those of us with the most can get just a little more.

Can't go there people. Not going to happen. It is better that we start talking about the possible. We have no time for calls to give up, or yield.

There is too much to do and way too much at stake.

We mean it.

Meta: Apparently, when I attempt to make manufactured intent clear, I get called out as a liar. This is the second time the idea of getting me to own and or be accountable for stuff other people made up has happened. Crazy!