Bern On

When that bird landed on Bernie Sanders’s podium as he addressed a crowd of 11,000 people in Portland back in March, it was one of the most deeply moving moments of his campaign. For those of us overwhelmed with despair over the ecological catastrophes of our era, this occurrence touched us on a spiritual level. In that moment, it was as if the voice of nature permeated the anthrosphere to remind us that it is not only our fate on the line.

As we teeter on the brink of climate catastrophe, in a continuous state of warfare plagued by rampant global poverty, the world holds its breath as America chooses its next head of state, nearly narrowing down to the two most despised candidates in our history, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Yet there is Bernie Sanders, a man that has drawn over a million people to hear him speak as he campaigned for president throughout the country, a man genuinely loved by his supporters. He has steered the political discourse of the presidential primaries to spotlight economic inequality and the lack of democracy in our electoral system, and has volunteered himself to lead a movement in moral opposition to corporate politics.

With the support of widespread grassroots efforts, Sanders has ascended from an establishment outsider to a serious contender for the Democratic nomination, a position originally anticipated as an easy win for Clinton. Sanders and his supporters have been fighting an uphill battle against corporate media and the Democratic Party, who have been tilting the playing field in Clinton’s favor from the beginning. Despite their best efforts to obstruct voters, Sanders still made tremendous strides in the primary race, which is astounding for a candidate funded by small donations going up against the corporate backers of the Clinton campaign machine.

For this reason, it is ever so heartbreaking to listen to Clinton make her victory speeches and watch the entire Democratic establishment fall in line behind her. I can’t seem to escape the visceral suspicion that the entire show was scripted, and Sanders and his supporters were just a minor inconvenience to the mockery of a democratic process designed to insulate the federal government from popular influence on behalf of plutocrats. It was as if our voice never really matter in the first place, and we are all expected to get behind Clinton and march onward to defeat the big bad Trump.

What the Democratic Party fails to understand is that Sanders supporters are done with political theater. We’re done being told we should vote out of fear of the greater evil. For once there is a candidate we actually want to become president, yet we are about to be denied the opportunity to vote for him. To those who feel disheartened by the political predictions, let me remind you that the people’s movement has come too far and there is too much on the line to accept defeat just yet. We don’t have to accept their prescription for political complacency, and through organization and solidarity we can influence ruling institutions. Through each individual effort, we strive for the realization of democracy in America.

Though the Clinton machine seems to have succeeded in thwarting the populist nominee, several opportunities are still on the horizon. Sanders choosing to remain a contender in the Democratic race is advantageous for several reasons: 1) Clinton may have more delegates, but Sanders must carry his campaign through to the end to have the maximum influence on the Democratic Party’s platform, 2) Clinton’s pending FBI investigation into her State Department emails could result in her indictment, possibly rendering her ineligible to run for president,  and finally 3) with recently released leaked documents from the Democratic National Committee showing the party’s preference for Clinton since early in the primary season, it’s hard to say exactly how this will all come into play at the convention next month.

Despite Clinton’s cloud of scandal, a Sanders presidency is still far out of reach, and his followers must be prepared to tactfully decide where to place their support.  Politically moderate supporters may be swayed to align with Clinton in opposition to Trump, but for those of us with more radical positions, one very clear distinction must be made: we are not necessarily voting for Bernie Sanders the candidate so much as we are voting for a movement behind him, a movement in opposition to everything for which Hillary Clinton represents. If Sanders can’t be the leader of this movement, then we may choose to stand behind the only other progressive candidate, Jill Stein of the Green Party. For many of us, we’d rather vote our values than have our votes reduced to fear.

As I was listening to Hillary Clinton make her premature victory speech the day after the California primary, I was overwhelmed with the realization that Clinton and the Democratic Party will bulldoze this movement if progressives don’t stand their ground. I felt the impulse to travel to Philadelphia and join forces with the masses of people coming from around the country to make their voices heard outside the Democratic National Convention in July. Regardless of the outcome, I knew I needed to be a part of this crucial time in our nation’s history.

As I sat on my porch mulling over the idea of traveling to the convention, debating with myself over whether I could make it work around my schedule and finances, I saw a bird land on the railing. It may have not been the same kind that landed on Sander’s podium, but the silhouette was similar enough to draw the resemblance. I interpreted that bird as a sign, a subtle reminder that my decision wasn’t just about me. If I was privileged enough to even consider going, I should go, not only for myself, but on behalf of everyone I knew who would go if they had the means.

While I don’t consider myself a front line activist in the sense that I’d be putting myself in a position to get arrested, I know my communications and journalism skills can still contribute to the cause. Simply conveying the stories of what’s happening on the ground outside the convention is activist in the sense that it is providing coverage of events that will likely be ignored by corporate media. Whatever happens on the streets of Philadelphia this July is something our whole nation needs to witness.

Historically, Philadelphia is the birthplace of the United States, where independence was declared in 1776, followed by the writing of the Constitution. It seems all too appropriate that 240 years later, the political revolution of our generation is coming to this city. The movement to reform our government has only begun, as more people stand up and refuse to accept the politics of fear. A storm is coming, and the Democratic Party can either accept the progressive advancements on its platform or risk disintegration. Either way, we’re Berning on.

See you in Philly.

Mima Mound Natural Area outside Olympia, WA. In the delicate prairies of the Pacific Northwest, prescribed burns are necessary to maintain the habitat and prevent forest encroachment. Similarly in society, popular uprisings and political reform are necessary to prevent democracy from being encroached by plutocracy.