Sometimes You have to Know When to Sit Down

On the eve of the nation’s first primary election, I thought it would be good to know what a Bernie Sanders’ supporter looks like. Nadine Galllagher is an Oklahoma teacher (after last year’s massive statewide teacher walk-outs you should all know what Oklahoma teachers have to deal with, and what they’re made of).

She is also one of those Bernie fanatics you hear about, dedicated, driven, and bound and determined to deliver the election to Bernie Sanders, single-handedly if she has to. She phone banks or canvasses for Bernie in Oklahoma every single week (sometimes more), and has personally sent over 100,000 texts on his behalf. No, that’s not a typo: Nadine alone has sent over 100,000 texts for Bernie Sanders. (Nationally, over 100,000,000 texts have been sent to prospective voters by Bernie's volunteers.)

Two weeks ago, she drove to Iowa…in below zero weather in the ice and snow…to knock doors for Bernie. Tonight she is texting to Iowa, New Hampshire, and Arizona. This is her post on social media, explaining why she supports Bernie and is willing to spend hundreds of hours volunteering for him. It’s well worth reading:

This is as honest I can be about the upcoming election and I really implore everyone to dig deep and think before you vote.

I am supporting Bernie Sanders because the young people of this country are overwhelmingly supporting Sanders and the world that they are trying to build is the world that they are going to have to live their whole lives in. If I am brutally honest with myself as a 55 almost 56 year-old woman, the world that we have created for our children and our grandchildren really isn't working for them. So maybe it's time that we follow their lead, because our lead really didn't get us anywhere good. Bernie has plans to reform our government and society to benefit people NOT corporations or billionaires; returning to a government for the people. In short, eliminating the oligarchy that we are operating within.

It really is simply the theory of planting a tree under whose shade you will never sit. I want to make this country better for my children and my grandchildren. And I think as a Democrat for the last 40-plus years we have done a piss-poor job of it. I am following the young people.

Sometimes you have to know when to sit down.

P.S. I also think his integrity and single focus on working people benefits all of us. I agree with him on 99% of his plans and that's really saying something.

- Nadine Gallagher, Oklahoma Educator