The message sent by the unfortunately inaccurate cartoon depicting a Bernie supporter being violent is sad, indeed. For nearly a year, the mainstream media has either ignored Sander’s campaign or vilified Bernie and his supporters.

The reports out of Nevada have not shown violence — they have shown the anger and frustration of voters who are blocked from being heard by an entrenched and corrupted party system. In this day where everyone has a camera in their phone, no images of violence have surfaced save the image of one supporter picking up a chair and putting it back down — nothing thrown.

The truth of the matter is that Bernie supporters — and Hillary supporters who are of like minds — are strongly concerned by the Democratic National Committee’s blatant favoritism and it’s efforts to make this a one-candidate race from the beginning.

Stacking the deck is not democracy. Not supporting all party candidates in an unbiased manner is not democracy. The injury from the actions of Democratic Party leadership will not come from reports of violence of disenfranchised voters. The injury will come when those voters leave a now-corrupt party and find a new home in a truly progressive political organization that reflects their goals of bringing the U.S. into the 21st century in health care, in just elections, in educating our people, in addressing the climate crisis and providing for free and equal access to the polls.

If passionately fighting for these causes is painted as out of line, we will lose all hope of electing leaders who support the majority.

Stephanie Irwin

Waterville

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