I was recently able to speak with Bernie Sanders in a small venue and to hear my fellow community members voice their comments and concerns.  I asked Bernie the question : “How can we support change and address the challenges we are facing as a nation?”. I appreciated his response, “Be extraordinary.”, but that is a rather meaningless response and an inaccessible concept to the majority of people in this country who are working minimum wage with kids, a spouse, and living paycheck-to-paycheck trying to meet their basic needs.  I have friends who fall into this socio-economic sphere and they would understandably be angry and uncomprehending and feel as though I was being condescending if I were to tell them that solution to our problems is for them to “Be extraordinary.”

One of my fellow community members brought up education as a solution.  This is an admirable and key solution…