Letter to the Editor: Senate hopeful Joe Sestak has shown courage of his convictions

web1_vw1.jpg

Volkswagen reaches judge’s deadline for diesel car fix

Our nation has reached a crossroads. The two major political parties are no longer functioning as originally intended. Lobbyists representing multibillion-dollar corporations court our elected officials shamelessly. The people have lost faith in government.But the winds are shifting in our favor and we now have the opportunity to turn things around.Bernie Sanders, Independent U.S. senator, and Democratic presidential candidate, has fought for working families his entire career. From protecting American jobs to ensuring tuition-free public college, from believing health care is a basic right to raising the minimum wage, Sanders has been an outspoken advocate for Americans&#8217; rights. He also breaks through governmental gridlock, having passed more amendments than any other congressional member during 10 years of a Republican-controlled U.S. House.Our country&#8217;s lopsided distribution of wealth is destroying our middle class and replacing it with a low-income socioeconomic class unable to lift itself out of poverty. The American dream is no longer attainable for a vast majority of our citizens. More and more college students are saddled by debt for years afterward. The current minimum wage perpetuates this despair, forcing many Americans who are working full time to apply for government benefits. Many who have achieved the American dream have seen it slip away due to a job loss or a serious illness, unable to pay exorbitant medical costs. No American should have to go into bankruptcy, losing everything they have worked for their entire lives, because our elected officials are beholden to wealthy insurance companies.Let&#8217;s notify Wall Street that we&#8217;re leveling the playing field, because it&#8217;s not working for the American people. This is not the democracy our Founding Fathers fought to create. Now is the time to fight back.Join the movement for a future to believe in!Samia ArroyoCarbondale

Letter to the Editor: Support Bernie Sanders in quest to salvage middle class