It’s the time of year that I tend to take stock of my life and my life choices. How do I become the better person, become more generous and kinder to family, friends and strangers alike? How do I improve myself in body, mind and spirit? And as I am a political person, my thoughts also turn to what I think are the qualities that I admire in a leader. Who has the personal qualities, the world view and the character to win my trust and vote? 

With the presidential election fast approaching, there is just one candidate who stands out: Sen. Bernie Sanders.

He is the antithesis of the stereotype of a politician. He is honest — he is blunt — but tells the truth. He is ethical and can’t be bought — I know I can count on him to stand up to corporations like Exxon Mobile, Big Pharma and defense industries to protect my country from pollution, corruption and exploitation. He has integrity — he has consistently for 40 years advocated policies protecting working Americans, as a mayor, a congressman and as a senator. Forty years! He is fair-minded — I can count on him to support and protect Social Security and pension plans. He is courageous — he will fight for universal health care as a right, and affordable college for all young people. He is intelligent — he understands that we need to listen to the scientists when they tell us we need to enact policies to mitigate climate change’s effects if we are to survive.

Just as with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the moneyed interests will attack Sen. Sanders and say his policies are too extreme, too costly, too socialist. But that is exactly what they said about Roosevelt when he proposed Social Security, public works projects, laws to protect workers’ bargaining rights and the Glass-Steagal Act to protect us depositors from unethical banking practices. Roosevelt famously said, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.”  What he meant was that he was not afraid to take bold steps to solve the serious problems of his day. Today, I believe that Sen. Sanders is just the person to propose the bold ideas to solve the serious problems we now face. 

Mary Hinnenkamp

Albert Lea