Urges columnist to drop attacks on Bernie Sanders

If Natalia Munoz wants to inspire Democrats to “do better now,” I’d suggest she stop using the most personally divisive speech imaginable when referring to Bernie Sanders and his “loudmouthed” supporters, promoting an ongoing grudge alive and well in social media and among Democrats (“Push Democrats to uphold party platform,” April 18).

We need to unite, and alienating those of us who thoughtfully supported the progressive Sanders platform (of whom she believes “settled lazily on being spoon-fed lies and distortions”) is not the way to do it.

Her columns serve up hearty portions of vitriol for Sen. Sanders, which seems misdirected given the fact that the Democratic establishment endorsed (from the beginning) one of the most divisive Democratic candidates in history (Munoz’s bitter attacks would be better served if they were directed at Donald Trump).

She claimed in her post-election column that Sanders “divided liberals and made a cottage industry of it.” Last I checked, debate and discussion are part of primary season, and of course loyalties get divided.

Once the convention started, Bernie Sanders campaigned passionately for Hillary Clinton and he gave speeches that were some of his most inspired.

But the grudges continue into April 2017. Is it going to help us going forward if I hold a grudge against the DNC for purposefully undermining the Sanders campaign? Can we get past the name-calling, troll-bot accusing and blame games?

Both Sanders and Clinton have made decisions in their careers and on the campaign trail that warrant scrutiny and criticism. Certain factions that supported each of these candidates deserve the same.

But if we hang on to these failures as rallying cries (like Munoz seems to continue to do against Sanders the same way Bernie Bros didn’t vote for Clinton) we’re bound to have eight years of a Trump presidency. That we can’t afford.

Chris Scanlon

Northampton

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