Dear President Carter,
During the 1976 primary season, as a freshman at the University of Oklahoma, I sat in a gymnasium and listened to you speak about your vision for this country. A few months later, I was happy and proud to cast my first-ever Presidential vote for you -- and I remain proud of that vote to this day.
The reason I chose you in the momentous election that began the post-Nixon era was that I believed our government was broken. Corruption and cynicism had crippled our democracy. Americans had lost trust in our institutions. We needed a leader who would articulate and forge a different path. What we needed, in short, was a political revolution. And you represented that revolution. You set us on a path of integrity in government, a path of forward-thinking solutions to the problems of the day, a path of rejecting the common wisdom and the tired story of "business as usual."
Unfortunately, after the election, we the people left it up to you alone to carry us forward on that path. And no one person could do it alone. The forces arrayed against you (and us) were too powerful, too determined, and ultimately they were able to bring you down. I've been thinking a lot in these past few months of how very different our world would be today had this country had the good sense to elect you to a second term. But in this life, we don't have the luxury of do-overs.
And that is what makes the current election so critical. The same forces that brought you down have now grown exponentially more powerful. The cynicism and corruption that have overtaken our politics and our democracy today make Nixon look like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. I know that you know this. I have heard you talk of how Senator Sanders speaks with a clear voice about the realities of economic inequality, and I've heard you predict that Secretary Clinton will win the nomination because she will bring in contributions from the big-money donors.
Just as my generation did in 1976, today's young people are hearing the clarion call for a political revolution. They understand that it is their lives, their future, their world on the line. They understand that unless there are big changes, their outlook is one of unprecedented bleakness. And they know that Senator Sanders not only will work for specific policy changes, but more importantly is focused on how to make those changes possible in the real world. His campaign is about changing our politics from the spectator sport it is today, played by opposing teams owned by the same league, into a participatory activity. It is about empowering ordinary people to recognize the strength of their own united voices and actions.
Since he launched his campaign, his support has been steadily closing the gap with Secretary Clinton, and in some cases overtaking her. His biggest challenge is that many African-Americans, especially older African-Americans in the Deep South, feel a strong sense of loyalty toward the Clintons. As I'm sure you know, Senator Sanders has a long and consistent record of actively supporting civil rights. Unfortunately, some of what Secretary Clinton, her campaign, and her surrogates have been saying has distorted this truth and caused many African-Americans to doubt Senator Sanders' commitment to racial justice. The Sanders campaign and surrogates have been speaking out against these distortions, such as this outstanding short (90-seconds), but powerful, video of hip-hop artist Killer Mike, one of Senator Sanders' most articulate and effective surrogates:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6rSbLzWayQ
Unfortunately, given the trust level that the Clintons started with, many people are not willing to look at any evidence that questions what they are saying, even though the record of the Clintons on issues impacting African-Americans is itself mixed.
I don't pretend to be qualified to tell African-American voters, or anyone else, how they should vote. But I do want all voters to be able to choose on the basis of true and accurate information. And here's where my ask comes in: If there is any single human being who could convince Clinton loyalists to give Senator Sanders a fair hearing, that human being is you. Your history, your integrity, your lifelong commitment to racial justice and all other forms of justice, and your southern roots, uniquely qualify you to have an impact on the upcoming Super Tuesday primaries across the South.
Your well-lived life has earned you the utmost respect from me and millions of others. I am begging you to use it to give Senator Sanders a better chance at achieving the political revolution that our country so desperately needs. Please endorse Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination for President.
Thank you for your consideration of this request and for your unparalleled service to this country and our world.
Terri D