There’s a certain type of think piece clogging my Reddit feed these days. It’s light. It’s super snarky. It’s extremely judgmental about Bernie supporters who will not support Hillary, going so far as to imply that there will come a time “when they have to.” And it’s really annoying.

All these articles agree, the best way to avoid criticism from Hillary supporters is to do so from the shamefully apologetic position that we’ll still “eventually support Hillary.” If these people wanted to live without guilt, then they should stop kowtowing to the establishment narrative that they need to apologize for their vote.

In the same breath as these people claim now to be an “active part of the process,” they make it clear that it’s already over. Failing to see that it’s their right to vote for whoever best represents their values, all of the time, and any time, they subtly hint that they’re different than the rest of us Bernie supporters. They’re a “card carrying Democrat,” after all. Not every Bernie supporter started like them. It’s OK to let the other shit rot, just don’t spoil the low-hanging fruit.

In a move that would, were it not for the clear desperation, make you believe you’re reading satire, these types of articles always conclude with something like “condescending isn’t the energy I want to get behind in November.”

Of course, this can only come after the perennial telling of every third-party voter they’re an imbecile for voting for a non-viable alternative.

Let’s be abundantly clear. Bernie or Bust third-party voters aren’t delusional idiots who are imagining that the green party has a chance to win the presidency — of course they don’t. We are people who have come to realize that in order to be an “active part of the process,” we need to use all available mechanisms to affect the political narrative, attempt to hold people (and parties) accountable, and express our democratic will. We are people who, contrary to the narrative of the dominant class, actually refuse to throw our vote away.

The refusal to vote for Hillary has nothing to do with people believing Hillary is “LITERALLY Hitler” or “the devil incarnate.” Nor does it stem from some naive belief that Bernie is perfect or infallible, it is merely one conscious expression of our awakening political power as opposed to our continued political subservience.

Hope you decide to join us in that instead of attempting to throw us under the political bus as a means of begging for your own forgiveness to the existing political narrators.