Bernie or busted dreams

"Can I just say to the Bernie or Bust people", said Sarah Silverman, "you're being ridiculous."

No, Sarah, you are.

Passionate yearning for purity of purpose is not ridiculous. Scraping up money to get to Philadelphia to hold up your sign, voice your yearslong support or shout out a name in the roll call vote is not ridiculous.

Aching for an inspirational leader who is trustworthy, runs a historically powerful campaign on donations each averaging $27 is not ridiculous. Feeling rage that the DNC favored Hillary and tilted circumstances toward her success is not ridiculous.

I'll tell you what is ridiculous. Being asked to sacrifice a vision of reform, hope, and compassion. Being asked by Elizabeth Warren, President Obama and even Bernie himself to do a U-turn and suddenly embrace a candidate accused of greed, duplicity, salacious scandal and inept foreign policy. That is ridiculous.

I won't forget those young crying faces. Longing for truth and a better world vision, they watched their ideals being shattered, betrayed by their own heroes.

That disillusionment can lead to apathy and distrust of all things political, a bleak future for all.

And don't tell them to "grow up". I am a grown-up, and I'm with them.

Mona Auer

Sleepy Hollow