By Sandra Lewis
I want to say why I support Bernie Sanders. I am a 72 year old Navy veteran, retired school teacher, Camp Fire survivor, and very small farmer/gardener. I pretty much always detested politics “because it’s all about lying and ripping people off”. Then in 2015 my daughter told me about Bernie Sanders. I was skeptical but I did some research and the more I saw the more excited I got. He REALLY meant “Not me – US”.
This man really cared about ALL people. He wasn’t rich after 40 years in politics, hard to believe, I know. There were videos on YouTube, going back decades, showing him on picket lines and supporting real human beings. Working to help them have better lives. I was hooked!
I was born and raised in the Air Force. That means I basically grew up with the equivalent of Medicare for All. My parents never worried about being able to afford to take me or my sister to the doctor. If we were suddenly sick we went down to the dispensary and waited to see a doctor. If we needed medication, we walked out the door with it. For regular stuff, we just got an appointment.
That’s what I want for everyone. When I got divorced, even though my ex had excellent medical insurance for our daughter, it had a large deductible. Every time she was sick I would go nuts trying to figure out if it was serious enough to try and find the money to take her to the doctor. I thought I was poor then but I managed most of the time to pay the bills by substitute teaching. I learned just how blessed we were when I met a couple of other young women who were divorced and had no insurance and not enough money to put a roof over their heads. The constant fear you experience in that situation is hard for regular people to comprehend.
I enlisted in the Navy in 1971 because I love my country and I wanted to give something back, protector her from evils unknown from “outside”. I wanted to keep my country and our people safe and secure. I still want that. Medicare for All is one step in that direction. Bernie is the only one who has been fighting for that his whole life.
People say it can’t be done. That may be true because our politicians are so corrupt. But if anyone can do it Bernie can. He will not make the mistakes Obama did in thinkimg he can do it by himself by negotiating. Bernie knows that it’s us, the everyday people on the streets, who give a damn about their neighbors, their families, and people they don’t even know, who will back him up in working to get Medicare for ALL.
If you think he can’t do it go take a look on Google and YouTube and research how he got things done when he was mayor of Burlington. He was fighting the establishment and real estate moguls in order to protect the citizens of the town. It’s very enlightening.
When I enlisted I gave my oath to defend this country and our constitution. I’m doing everything I can to fulfill that oath. Old folks, abandoned teens, the handicapped, single mothers with children, anyone with even a shred of human DNA deserves to know that if they are sick, if they are injured, if their teeth are rotting, or they can’t see or hear, they deserve care. They deserve care just like I had when I was growing up, just like I have now as a veteran through the VA.
When you enlist you know that you are signing a contract that you would give up your life for your fellow citizens. I signed that contract and never had to sacrifice as so many have. I think that now, if I have to get on the phone, or carry a sign, or pay higher taxes so that my fellow citizen can know their bodies and minds will be safe and cared for, that’s the least I can do. So if you think protecting the people of this country is worth doing I’m hoping you will support Bernie too, and help us accomplish that.
