I am not a political person by nature.

In my experience, it feels a bit like dating—confusion, trust issues and fear of pain from deceptive smiles and sweet words of promise which inevitably end in disappointment.

I, like many Americans, have taken a decade or so pass from the exchange—choosing ignorance of the issues over the angst of the big let-down.

This year though has brought about an awakening in many American emotional-political expats, including me.

Disgusted by the parade of media bred-buffoons offered us these past seasons, I have found comfort and courage standing behind Senator Bernie Sanders. I feel he is a man who has the conviction, experience, and kindness to truly make a positive difference in each and every one of our American lives.

I was so proud to be able to witness his outstanding performance during the Iowa caucus—to watch first hand as he won the hearts of so many citizens, hardened and blinded (as I had been) to the potential of anyone being able to lead our country. Although pride for my chosen candidate is still beaming, I have been horribly dismayed by the media’s tactics of running their own agendas.

Their methods of opening informational doors to their chosen few while blatantly disguising the message of my desired leader is deplorable.

Good, responsible, ethical journalism is based on unbiased reporting; this is not the path our national media follows.

A series of personal protests sprang forth from me and many joined in my disgust, assisting in the barrage of personal messages crying out for truth in media coverage of our candidate and demanding validation for the blatantly erroneous reporting.

One woman, a stranger to me, sent a short personal message to my Facebook page—a woman who I am sure was just trying to get on with her Bernie message. She asked that I and others like me, disgusted by the caucus debacle throughout Iowa, please regain our focus and put it back into furthering Bernie Sanders’ message. Her request was simply to get back to the work at hand.

I understood her position clearly and thanked her for her efforts to further our mutual candidate’s passions and position. I considered giving up my battle-stance-efforts, thinking she might be correct. Sometimes giving up the desires or ideas of the individual does contribute to the greater good of the group and I wondered if she was correct in chastising me and my fellow enraged citizens.

I pondered it for a bit but in this case, I do not feel she is correct.

I thought hard about my responsibility in this mockery of truth in politics that all Americans been subjected to and how so many of us should be ashamed of our present condition.

Apathy and entitlement are a dangerous pairing and too many of us have been blindly party to this modern political yellow brick road for far too long.

It was important for me to express to everyone this growing disconcerted awareness of our election process. Here was my response to the woman:

“Who has lost sight of the (Senator Sanders Presidential) goal? Are the phone banks closed or are the door knockers not working hard to spread the word? No. I do not understand your message. Have we shut down the Sanders machine in order to get a fair understanding of the breadth of the damage/ignorance/deception going on against Senator Sanders? Not at all.

Which Sanders representative has issued a statement that says “Campaign slow down so we can evaluate our progress!” No one has issued any such statement. Did you see there was a bullet hole found through the window of his Las Vegas headquarters? Was that on the news? No it wasn’t! He has just recently (during the Iowa caucus) been receiving security details.

He is just now receiving recognition and he still hasn’t been able to get his full agenda out through the national media because it has been completely whitewashed at every angle. Truly…what is your message? He is the one candidate that has a full, logical, well-thought out plan of turning this country around. Are you saying “Let’s stop announcing the truth…let’s make sure he only gets half of his message out to the general population who (by the way) cannot get past the “socialist” label because of the media blockades?

What is your true message and purpose here? I would like to know.”

We as a society have been ignoring Senator Sanders’ word and work as a public figure for nearly forty years. If I have been so moved now, why hadn’t I heard it before?

After so many years of ignoring the issues, dealing with the problems, feeling pity for those hit so much harder by these recessions and changing global business atmosphere than I, I at first I took the burden of blame upon myself.

As I thought about it later though, one thought kept picking at my brain: “Why haven’t I heard his message before now?”

I am not completely oblivious of our politicians. For decades, he has been loud and clear, kind and intelligent. His message has been focused all along on waking the American populace to the activities of our government.

How big business is partnering with our politicians and overseas governments to pick our pockets. How the average worker’s way of life is being decimated by our sponsorship and support of corporate buyouts perpetrated by and for our own law makers financial and personal advancements. How opportunities for the poor are truly being suppressed and diminished in order to enlarge the pockets and purposes of those that hold the unfathomable proportion of wealth in this country.

It is a critical time for us as citizens to be responsive and reactive: as food origins are becoming more obscured due to diminished corporate labeling requirements; as sacred tribal Native American lands are being handed to greed-mongering oil conglomerates; as deadly herbicides are still being applied to our iconic amber waves of grain; and the arguments over responsibility of deadly water being fed to our citizens becomes as large or larger a point of order than assisting the poisoned citizens themselves.

The requirements of our government to keep the population informed and safe are being rapidly diminished and the once-abundant benefits of being an American citizen are more rapidly being stripped away by those elected to protect and serve.

As we put Iowa behind us and roll out of the glorious New Hampshire showing for Senator Sanders, I find myself even more enthralled with the possibilities that await our country.

There is a storm brewing and it is one of the people. A true grassroots whirlwind is taking shape, focusing on joining hands and working together for a better future for all citizens. It has finally begun but we cannot slow down the momentum or quiet the growing din of our humble call.

It is glaringly obvious that we need to stand today and every day to shout loud and proud: “We demand better!”

Iowa’s caucus shenanigans have been our version of Dorothy’s tearing back the curtain and revealing our political Oz. The covert collection of microcosmic incidents that have so diminished the macrocosm of our lives here in the land of plenty is being exposed.

I can only hope that many others join in our crusade to end this imperious rule—no matter how politically incorrect it may be or how many feelings get hurt.

Wars are going on everywhere. Let’s make this war count—for all Americans, today!

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Relephant read:

The Difference Between Righteous Anger and “Mad”ness.

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Author: Tracy Johnson

Editor: Khara-Jade Warren

Image: Donkey Hotey/ Flickr

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