By Zachary Conatser–

Free education. How does that sound?

What about free and universal healthcare, or even a minimum wage increase to fifteen dollars an hour so an average person can live comfortably? Imagine being given the time and the means to pursue your dreams without being burdened by financial struggle. What if that were actually a reality?

All of this, sadly, sounds like a fantasy, but you can make it a reality by having your voice heard and getting out there to vote. One great human being can change it all, or set the standards and try to at the very least.

That man is Bernie Sanders. You may have heard of him, or you haven’t. He’s a former member of the House of Representatives and served for sixteen years, and now the senator from Vermont is running for president on the platform of helping every human being in this country—not just the millionaires and billionaires this country is rigged to benefit.

Hopefully we all know and understand that trickle down economics (AKA Reaganomics) isn’t working for everyone—it’s only working for those at the very top. If you don’t know how it’s supposed to work, here’s a little demonstration. Imagine a pyramid made of wine glasses. Wine (wealth) is poured (invested) into the top glass. The top glass will eventually overflow and fill the glasses beneath reaching all the way to the very bottom, providing each level with enough wine for everyone. That’s the way we’re told it works.

Instead, the glass at the very top doesn’t overfill. The glass continues to grow and grow, preventing the glasses underneath to be filled, leaving them bone dry causing us all to be thirsty. Is it a coincidence that when these economic policies were instated in the eighties, the gap in wealth from those at the top to those near the bottom continued to get wider and wider?

Hopefully you can understand the game is meant to be rigged. Bernie Sanders is a man that knows the situation thoroughly and has been fighting against income inequality for quite some time. He knows and understands the issues that present themselves in this country and brings them to the table when no one else is willing to acknowledge them. He’s been consistent in his politics throughout his entire career. He organized sit-ins to get rid of segregation, and he criticized the recklessness of the federal reserve. He truly can be trusted with his word—unlike most of the other presidential candidates.

Bernie declares himself a Democratic Socialist and wants to build the United States into what it was meant to be: a place where the American dream is very real and hard work really does pay off. Everyone gets their fair shot. It shouldn’t matter where and what class into which you’re born. You shouldn’t have to suffer due to circumstance.

Many of his political opponents criticize him and say his ideas are outlandish, too expensive and could never be practiced in real life without failing. But, what they fail to realize is these ideas of social democracy are practiced in many Nordic countries—such as The Netherlands, Sweden and Iceland—and these countries are among the greatest in the world.

Where is he going to get the money to do all of this? By taxing corporations more effectively, getting rid of tax loop holes, stopping corporate welfare, relieving the taxes on the middle and lower classes and raising them on the super-rich at the top that have a lower tax rate than you or me.

It’s time we the people take charge and elect an honest, good-hearted man to be our commander-in-chief. Bernie Sanders wants nothing but the best for you. He’s never flip-flopped, and hasn’t given in to bribes from Wall Street. He’s our only shot at making America a better place.

Please, do your duty as an American and get out there to vote for someone who will stand up for your rights and your American dream.