Russell Simmons endorses Clinton, slams Sanders

[Il_Coniglietto]

99. I know quite a lot about him

so I don't think "learning" more will change that. In fact, I think I've given him the benefit of the doubt more often than not.

The disease analogy is interesting because I think we're discussing two different diseases. Medicine for one does not equal medicine for another. You have to treat both or the body still suffers. And I'm not accusing you of this at all, but too often minorities are essentially told to wait our turn while economic equality is given prominence. Equality among races, genders, orientations, religions, etc...those are "wedge" issues. But if we keep waiting, one day we'll get to them!

I'm a bit confused as to how promising free healthcare and free college tuition (both of which I support in theory and would benefit me) isn't pandering, but fighting for social justice as separate from economic justice is? Maybe I'm misunderstanding you.

Sanders and the Civil Rights Movement...*sigh* This is a topic I've seen raised again and again and again. I'll be bluntly honest. I think it's wonderful that he was involved when he was, but he had the privilege to leave it. He got the chance to move away, he got the chance to focus on other things, he got the chance to "base his politics" on something other than his color. POC do not get that chance.

I won't speak for others beyond that, but as a Latina, seeing how Dolores Huerta was treated by some after the Nevada brouhaha hurt. Whatever actually happened that day barely matters anymore. What matters is how quickly and easily some discounted the decades of blood, sweat and tears she shed fighting for the rights of farm workers, Latinos, women and all Americans. She doesn't get the chance to focus on other issues, to base her politics on something else because when she walks out the door in the morning, she's not seen by society at large as Dolores the person, she's not even just another American. She's a Latina, first and foremost. In a country where Republicans want to shame us for fighting for our rights as human beings and as Americans, just being proud of who we are is a form of protest. Compound that with folks who claim to be on your side tossing your concerns aside in an instant--and, ultimately, for what?--is brutal.

I don't want anyone to think I'm attacking Bernie for this because I'm not. It's just incredibly frustrating to see "he marched with Dr. King" mentioned all the time, as if we don't march for ourselves every damn day. We don't get the choice.