The reasons behind Trump, Sanders

As best I can understand this year’s presidential contest, both major parties are struggling with public discontent over their leadership. This year’s populist uprisings have long been building but ignored by the elite, just as Mitt Romney in 2012 dismissed 47 percent of us as irrelevant.

It reminds me of Washington County’s quarrelsome redistricting following the 1990 census. We rural residents needed more representation on the Quorum Court and we argued strenuously for it, when we were allowed to speak. An influential local official assured us that he knew what we needed better than we did, just as the Democratic Party is telling us with its superdelegates who can ignore voters’ choices. After that meeting ended, the man who chaired it was asked on camera why he did not let us rural residents speak more. He replied (this is an exact quote) “I don’t consider them to be the people.”

As I see it, therein lies a big problem. We the People are not considered to be the people, and we’re tired of it. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have appealed to millions by not playing by the rules set down by their parties’ leadership. Unfortunately their supporters disagree vehemently with each other, which is another major problem we as a nation face.

Are we headed for another Civil War or a revolution? We could be if our leaders keep assuming they know what’s best for us without considering us to be relevant. NANCY MILLER SAUNDERS

Durham