Bernie goes to Lynchburg
by Tom Sullivan
Sen. Bernie Sanders is scheduled to speak at Liberty University this morning in Lynchburg, Virginia, following in the steps of Donald Trump and others. That's one way for Sanders to "generate widespread national media attention":
Indications from local Democrats show that many Sanders supporters may try to fill in the seats not occupied by Liberty students. Katie Cyphert, the Lynchburg Democratic Committee chairwoman, said she has been fielding many phone calls and emails.
“This is not a Democratic Committee event,” Cyphert said. “By virtue of this being in Lynchburg, we are fielding an exorbitant number of phone calls.”
One of those students, Erin Kotlan, came to further her faith in Jesus and actually found him through Liberty:
Many of my conservative Christian peers are baffled by the idea that my political beliefs could be grounded in my faith in Jesus Christ; but I believe the best way to find any sort of concrete truth among the shifting cultures of Christianity is to go directly to the Bible. From my studies, I have concluded that the Bible clearly indicates all life is valuable. Jesus calls his followers to care for those on the fringes of society: the poor, orphans, immigrants, and other disenfranchised groups. His calling leads me to a strong passion for social justice and an interest in hearing Senator Sanders speak.
[snip]
For me, applying these truths to my political life puts me somewhere in between the two political parties. There is not a candidate for the upcoming election with whom I fully agree; but the majority of Sanders’s political ideas seem to fit well with my faith. According to his campaign site, Sanders’s political focus is on issues such as strengthening the middle class, racial justice, women’s rights, and a better immigration policy. These types of policies help more people gain equal access to political, economic, and social rights. Sander’s economic policies have the potential to shift our countries’ mindset from profit motive to a focus on communal well-being and equality. A governmental focus on these policies could help America to create a more inclusive community; a community that would allow us to decrease the number of people left on the margins of society.
Oops. Liberty officials must be worrying if it's contagious.