Why I Am Voting For Bernie Sanders

Our Crew

I am voting for Bernie Sanders in the upcoming Iowa Caucus because I am wiped out. I am so freaking tired I am willing to publicly admit I can't keep doing this. I need help, and I need it to be real, substantial help, not just an offer of prayer on my behalf or a word of encouragement.

My family may be a tad bit unique in our life struggle, but I do not believe we are that far from the norm. I think we are one family in a large silent and suffering nation of families on the verge of crisis.

 Rob and I are responsible for 3 generations of our family with special needs. Our elderly parents with physical and mental disabilities, our 3 young adult children who each have Usher Syndrome, which causes hearing loss from birth and gradual vision loss, and our granddaughter who has autism. Rob and I are walking, talking encyclopedias on the emotional, financial and physical sacrifices that must be made to meet the needs of people who can't take care of themselves. We are constantly researching resources and treatments, trying to help our loved ones have decent qualities of life. Rob and I do not enjoy financial security ourselves because all of our resources go to keeping our fragile family ship afloat on the wicked seas of ever-shrinking federal and state programs for the poor and disabled.

I laughed so hard a few months ago when presidential candidate Jeb Bush suggested the way to improve the economy was for people to work more hours. Um, Mr. Bush, can I talk to you for a minute? Yeah, we need to discuss how Rob and I are supposed to work more than our full-time jobs, plus take care of the 7 people who are doing the best they can with what God gave them. You cannot accuse Rob or I of being slackers. We put ourselves through college by working, going to school and raising a family at the same time. The only official vacation we have ever taken was 23 years ago, when a charity for special needs children gave us the gift of a 5 day trip to Disney World. You know your family is officially under stress when strangers are willing to pay for you to meet Mickey Mouse.

I am voting for Bernie Sanders for President of the United States of America because he is the only politician I have ever heard who acknowledges that social and health care programs for the disabled and disadvantaged are necessary. As the Bible says, there will always be the poor among us. There will always be people born with special needs, there will always be illness, car accidents and random things that happen to good people everywhere. What America desperately needs now is politicians who understand this fact of life and are willing to act on it.

I hope you and your family enjoy lifetimes of excellent physical and mental health. I also hope that if you don't have that gift, there are supports to help you. Our family is doing everything we can to ensure you will have a safe place to land in the event of hardship. Won't you do the same for your fellow man?