According to Miriam Webster, the simple definition of the word progressive means “moving forward.” I for one find this highly ironic, as the #BernieorBust movement seems absolutely incapable of doing so.

I don’t even know why I’m bothering to write this. According to my friends on social media who are part of the #BernieorBust movement, I am one or all of the following: stupid, lazy, an ostritch, Republican, part of the problem, Fascist, a traitor…all because I am now willing to vote for HRC.

Fine. Who cares. If you are so myopic you must think of me this way, there’s not a whole lot I can say to change your mind.

But I am going to state, as clearly as possible, why, after voting for Sanders in the New York primary, I am now willing to put my full support behind HRC.

As a progressive, I think I am responsible not just for voting for the candidate who best represents my values, but for the values of all of us that live together in this country. The Republican ticket, with the new edition of Pence as Veep, is unconcerned with protecting the rights of African Americans, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and women. Actually unconcerned is charitable. As a woman I feel like a campaign is being waged against me.

There is a huge difference between HRC and Trump.  HRC is not going to nominate Supreme Court Justices who are at war with minorities and women. It’s unbelievable to me that I have to state the obvious. I have read posts of Sanders supporters who have scoffed at the idea of the Supreme Court being a worthwhile reason to vote for her.  I do not understand how anyone could ridicule a vacancy on the Supreme Court. These are the people who will make laws that will effect generations of people in the future. How is it possible that your heads are that far up your collectives asses? And yet they are.

I recently watched the documentary “Trapped”, about the TRAP laws recently overturned by the Supreme Court (thank you very much) which were designed to prevent women from their legal right to abortion. If the vote had gone 4-4 instead of 5-3, the laws would have held.

In one segment, a doctor was in tears because she could not provide an abortion to a 13-year old rape victim due to TRAP laws.

Really, I could care less whether or not you vote your conscience.  It is unimportant to me that you feel good about your vote. When I cast my vote, I cast it not just for myself, but for that 13-year old girl who is too young to have a voice. I owe her. I also cast my vote for my LGBTQ friends.

I live in the real world, not the world as I think it should be.  Bernie Sanders and/or Jill Stein are not going to win the general election.  And for the faction of you who insist upon saying, “We TOLD you that if you didn’t nominate Bernie we’d leave the Democratic Party, and now you’re getting Trump, which is what you deserve!” Don’t tell me. Tell the little girl who was raped and had to carry a baby to term against her will why you are willing to let the future of the Supreme Court be handed over to a reality TV star whose vice-president is the single greatest political foe of Planned Parenthood in this country. I’m sure she will appreciate your voting with a clear conscience as more important than the outright torture she had to endure at the hands of right-wing conservatism.

I’m proud to have voted for Bernie. I think his influence on the Democratic Party was sorely needed, and he best represented my beliefs. I think his, and our, work will continue.

I am not willing, however, to throw the baby out with the bathwater, or cut off my nose to spite my face.  I’m moving forward. So is Bernie. For those of you who cannot, and who insist upon calling me every pejorative name in the book, I’ll say this. When you call yourselves progressives, I say bullshit. I find your petulance insufferable.