To the editor,
For many years, Lincolnites have taken to the floor of Town Meeting to seek support for citizens’ petitions to support a nuclear weapons freeze, arms control, and a variety of equal and human rights initiatives. We have endorsed petitions to oppose the war in Iraq, the Keystone pipeline, and the intrusion of big money into politics and to overturn Citizens United. We have advocated for campaign finance reform and many other issues.
Now, all who have advocated for these issues on the floor of Town Meeting and beyond have an opportunity to vote for a candidate who has been with us on these and many other issues since the beginning of his career. He has fought for civil rights in the streets of Chicago since the mid-sixties. He has campaigned for our issues on the floors of Congress since 1985. His core values have not wavered and have been reflected in his personal and political life. He has walked the talk. He has never taken money from large corporate or financial concerns for either his political campaigns, or for his own personal gain.
As my mother said, “Actions speak louder than words.” His actions have consistently matched his words. Now Lincolnites can also match their words with deeds. We have an opportunity, as Democrats and Independents, in the upcoming Presidential primary election on March 1 to vote for a candidate who truly walks the Lincoln talk—Bernie Sanders!
Sincerely,
Sara Mattes
71 Conant Rd.
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.
A vote for Bernie is a vote against the criminal
Hillary. Someone under investigation by the FBI
Has no right running for President. Look at her history
Feel the Bern!!!
I too have great admiration for Sara Mattes, and though we occasionally have a divergence of opinion, that does naught to diminish my respect. That said, in this case I wholeheartedly agree with her. I also agree with Ilana Newell, we need to stop passing over qualified women candidates, but our priority must be with who will best serve our country. Secretary Clinton has been a tremendous public servant but she is not the person to bring about the change we sorely need.
I would like to reiterate what Herman Karl wrote, “Senator Bernie Sanders is working to empower people to have a much greater direct and influential role in our representative democracy. The difference between Clinton and Sanders is the difference between “I” and “we” between “power” and “empowerment.” It will take an empowered citizenry to do the right thing.”
I am disappointed to read this letter from Sara Mattes, a person I admire and a woman who knows what it is like for women in politics. Secretary Clinton is so much more qualified than her primary opponent and an effective advocate for all the issues many of us in Lincoln care about so deeply. She is the only candidate in the entire field to have served in any President’s cabinet and the best positioned to build on President Obama’s legacy (after all, he hired her and not Senator Sanders). On the merits, her foreign and domestic relationships, work experience, and long record of accomplishments far surpass those of any other candidate for Commander in Chief. It’s time to stop passing over women leaders for promotion and to put this woman in the Oval Office. If not her, who? If not now, when?
https://qz.com/624346/america-loves-women-like-hillary-clinton-as-long-as-theyre-not-asking-for-a-promotion/
The four voters in my household are all planning to vote for Bernie Sanders and are in agreement with above letters. We would like to see improvements to Obamacare or move to a single payer system and that $3,500 or more for a ninety day supply of a necessary brand name prescription drugs becomes past history. Health care reform is not done yet! We also do not like the fact that now that Social Security has been combined with general tax revenues, money is being and has been taken from it, even by Democratic Party presidents in recent years to pay down the deficit and shore up Veterans benefits and Medicare and Medicaid. When this was challenged in a lawsuit, the Supreme Court ruled that since payroll taxes meant for Social Security and more security in retirement are now combined with other tax revenues, it is legal to do so. Will the retirement age now be raised to 75? Will Social Security become past history?
Bernie Sanders representatives a “reflective” politician not constrained by party dogma that analyzes the issue on its face.
I’m reproducing below my letter published in the Globe Feb. 4.
In his op-ed “Statecraft vs. soulcraft,” Cornel West succinctly articulated what is at stake in the Presidential election—“a moral and spiritual awakening…for the rebirth of American democracy.” It’s not that long ago that the news media were denouncing the present political system as being broken and corrupt. Hillary Clinton touts her experience and emphasizes that she knows how to work in that system to get things done. I agree she and Bill Clinton are masters and enablers of the system, one awash in money that marginally serves the people while it obscenely rewards the politicians, lobbyists, and special interests that perpetuate it.
Senator Bernie Sanders is working to empower people to have a much greater direct and influential role in our representative democracy. The difference between Clinton and Sanders is the difference between “I” and “we” between “power” and “empowerment.” It will take an empowered citizenry to do the right thing. We can counter Citizens United with a united citizenry that is informed, engaged, vigilant, and holds its representatives to the highest standards of integrity.
In order to meet the word length constraint I edited out the following from my first draft.
Hillary Clinton’s behavior, which belies her rhetoric, suggests she wants control to remain among the political elite and wealthy. I ask a reflective person to consider these questions. How is it possible for her and Bill Clinton, both of whom have spent most of their professional careers in politics, to accumulate a massive fortune of 100 million dollars? Why won’t Secretary Clinton release the transcripts of her speeches to Goldman Sachs for which she was paid $675,000 (which is a fraction of the millions she has made in speaking fees)? If she is honest and forthright and a leader, why does she make release of the transcripts conditional on “…when everyone else does the same thing?” Bernie Sanders has never made Wall St. financial institution speeches and we know where the Republicans stand.
Excellent letter, and exactly how Lincoln has responded over my 45 years to the most important issues at town metings!