So well-written, Shasta. Anyone who believes in Bernie’s message must also accept that it’s a long-game. It will take the patience years to create vast change, and it will require the motivation and dedication historically absent from a number of Liberals to concern themselves with state and local politics and voting. The face of the House and Senate cannot be changed without that patience and dedication, and it is that change that’s necessary in order to push through the very changes we want to see in our world.

I had heard about Bernie Bros a while ago. It surprised me, because I hadn’t seen any. Instead, I had seen very rude Hillary supporters, and was reeling from the what I felt were anti-woman comments of Madeline Albright and Gloria Steinhem. At 57 I’m no child nor young woman, and I don’t need anyone to help me think or decide whose policies and beliefs I like best. As a feminist, I would *love* to vote for a woman as President, but it would have to be a woman I believe in, and I do not at all believe in Hillary.

More recently, I have seen the Bernie Bros of which others had spoken and found them to be entitled, misogynistic sexists. But they aren’t Bernie, just like Hillary’s equivalent followers are not Hillary. Like you, I would so much rather see calm discourse, rational discussion, but it’s something that I sometimes have not even seen from friends — some of whom have treated me so badly, or have been so confrontational that what should be a discussion seems instead like a ‘verbal’ cage match. Not interested. So, I ignore the peanut gallery as much as possible and focus on the well-mannered, positive people. May there be more of them.