Welcome to Silver and Shadow

"Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds." -L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

This is a blog I will be using for topics other than food. Politics, religion, spirituality, humor, green living, anything that I want to talk about that doesn't fall under the food/cooking category.



Tuesday, July 26, 2016

An Open Letter to Senators Clinton and Sanders

Wherever we go, whatever we do, we're gonna go through it together…”-Together Wherever We Go, Gypsy

Dear Secretary of State Clinton and Senator Sanders, 
It’s been a very long, very contentious road to the DNC, but now we’re here. We’ve made it. It’s been a great show so far, and we’re only halfway through! We were all really worried at first over whether or not you two could pull off bringing the party together to present a (mostly) united front against one of the biggest threats our country has ever known. It remains to be seen if this will be successful. A lot of hearts were broken, and a lot of minds have been closed in the race to the nomination. Both “sides” still have some growing up to do between now and November.

One of the things that stood out to me the most during the nomination process, was how you two played off of each other. You two have always been #StrongerTogether. You made each other better candidates. You brought out the best in each other and forced one another to work harder to be the best candidate you could be. And you both succeeded. The Democratic party currently boasts an embarrassment of riches when it comes to amazing people. I have always felt proud about being a Democrat, and I am happy to say that this feeling never wavered during the nomination process.

The nomination has been made now, and Senator Clinton has been chosen to carry the party to the general election in November. Senator Sanders, you have been gracious and humble these past few days, and are to be commended. I can’t have been easy for you. You have helped change the direction of the party. You have changed the conversation. You have pushed Senator Clinton farther than anybody else probably could have, and I hope you are very proud of yourself. Senator Clinton, you have the strongest chance yet to become the first woman president this nation has ever known. Whenever Sanders pushed you, you pushed back, but never pushed over him. You are one of the greatest candidates I have ever seen, and I am so proud to get to vote for you in November.

One thing has become clear to me during this long process: regardless of what you two feel about each other, you’re stuck with each other. The party needs both of you to win, and the country needs both of you to keep working together to become the best that we can be. I don’t care if you two can’t stand the sight of each other once the cameras are off and the doors are closed. You two complement each other perfectly.

My proposal: Senator Clinton, you need to offer Senator Sanders a position in your cabinet, and Senator Sanders, you need to accept it. There are three positions that would be a good fit with your passions. Secretary of Education would allow you to continue your fight for tuition-free college for every American. Secretary of Energy would allow you to continue working for the betterment of the environment. This would help the nation, and the world And Secretary of Labor would help you keep fighting for the working class, the middle class, and helping to achieve goals like equal pay for equal work, and a $15 national minimum wage.

They say that still waters run deep. On the surface, the water might look calm, but underneath, the current is moving swiftly downstream. I think the same could be said of revolutions as well. Sometimes they come with violence and a frenzy of action, and sometimes they sneak up on you until they’re over and you never knew it even took place. I personally believe that slow and steady wins the race. Maybe the changes won’t happen overnight, but we’ll get there.

Being president would pull you in too many directions to be able to give any of your passions the true attention you need to give them. And by helping out in the cabinet, you help free Senator Clinton to give her attention to other needs. She’ll have a very full plate on her hands and will need all the help she can get. Juggling the needs of the nation while also keeping her eye out on the rest of the world will take every spare moment she can give.

What better way to continue bringing the party together and healing the rift that was created over the last year, than by announcing that both of you will continue to fight for America after being elected to the White House in November? I would encourage both of you to seriously consider this idea. I don’t care if you hate each other; you can work from different buildings if you have to. As public servants, making the United States of America the best it can be, should be your top priority. It’s time to let go of any bruised egos, hurt feelings, and negative personal opinions of each other you may have, and continue to work together. We will thank you for it. History will remember you for it.

Signed,
Summer Whitesell
Seattle, Washington