Throughout my nearly 70 years I have been waiting for a politician who had 100 percent of my support. I began early as an interested young man in the political system. As I near 70 years of age, I finally have a hero.

“I liked Ike,” and was a senior in high school when our courageous young president, JFK, was assassinated in Dallas. I voted for Ronald Reagan in his first term. I found respect for George H.W. Bush. I was proud to have voted for Bill Clinton as he stabilized our nation’s economy. As I cast my ballot for the first black president, I knew that this man of great intellect and ideas was the person to correct the ills of the failed administration of his predecessor.

Now we come to the 2016 election.

I continue to praise many of the qualities of presidents who previously had my support, but only today do I have a chance to vote for a man who represents nearly all of my wishes.

Bernie Sanders speaks for me. He dismisses special interests and is waging a fight for the working class. His plans for reinventing our educational system and finally giving women the equality they deserve will move America back towards greatness. His belief in ‘democratic socialism’ would return our nation to the form of government established by our founding fathers; a Democratic Republic.’ What we have now is an oligarchy; rule by a few. Those few are 435 members of the House of Representatives, and 100 Senators. They fail to vote for the people; their only concern is securing greater profits for the one-percent.

Senator Sanders has never varied from his goal; to make life better for the majority. It is impressive that he has remained one of only two true Independents in Congress. Without ties to Wall Street, he is able to focus on the needs of the majority of our nation’s people.

Although his opponents on both sides of the aisle are attempting to find missteps in his past, they have failed; his principles and ethics are intact.

Only Bernie Sanders can return the United States to the people.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Read ‘James Turnage’ on the free Amazon Kindle App