Nevada Police Investigating Possible Attempt To Murder Bernie Sanders

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Image Via Flickr available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.

In case you didn’t know this, allow me to share a very pertinent fact with you: Bernie Sanders does not have Secret Service protection even though he is running for President. Did you know that? I freely admit that I didn’t

Why is this relevant? Because on Thursday, someone shot up his Nevada campaign office. That also happens to be the exact same day that Senator Sanders was in Nevada campaigning! Campaign staffers found a bullet hole in the window of the Las Vegas headquarters. Sanders was in that very office that same day.

Since September, some inside the campaign have been calling for a Secret Service detail for the Vermont Senator and 2016 Democratic candidate. Considering how some on the far right refer to Sanders–Donald Trump calls him a socialist and a communist–such protection might not be a bad idea.

The Sanders campaign has declined to comment on the shooting in Las Vegas.

Based on Secret Service criteria, as posted on their website, Sanders seems to qualify for protection. Candidates must be:

  • Publically announced
  • Have some degree of prominence as shown by opinion polls
  • Actively campaigning and entered in at least 10 state primaries
  • Seeking the nomination of a qualified party
  • Have qualified for matching funds in the amount of at least $100,000
  • Have received contributions totaling $10 million

Clearly, Senator Sanders meets each and every one of these stipulations, so what seems to be the problem? Reportedly, numerous petitions have been circulating for months asking that Sanders be given a Secret Service detail, yet he still doesn’t have one. Why might that be?

There are a lot of disturbed and sick individuals in this country who might want to try and make some bizarre statement or garner their 15 minutes of fame by attempting to harm a person seeking the highest office in the country. Isn’t it time Sanders was given protection?

If we can do it for Trump, Ben Carson, and Hillary Clinton, can’t we do it for Senator Sanders?

The ball is now in the Secret Service’s court, and based on what happened in Las Vegas, it’s obvious that the need exists.

Watch A News Report On The Shooting

Featured Image by Flickr available under a Creative Commons license.