Pete Buttigieg is the clear choice for Minnesota on March 3 in the Democratic Presidential Primary.

I have put much thought and deliberation into selecting my candidate of choice. I selected Pete Buttigieg because his number one issue is my number one issue – a national public insurance option.

Our current political discourse in the nation reminds me of the parable of the Good Samaritan in the Bible, where Jesus tells an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

In this story, a man was traveling and was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. Another man came and, when he saw him, also passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was, and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds. Then he put him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day the Samaritan paid the innkeeper to take care of the injured man. He then returned on a later date and paid the innkeeper any extra expense that he had from taking care of the injured man.

Every American can learn a valuable lesson from the story of the Good Samaritan. The growing costs of health care keep me up at night with the way the current administration and its supporters are trying to gut our nation’s healthcare system.

If by chance you know me personally, you know that I have cerebral palsy, which forces me to walk with canes. I have been told four times by doctors I would not be able to walk. After the fourth time, they quit saying that. I have built a successful life for myself with hard work and determination. However, the current administration’s health plan, or lack of a plan, threatens to not cover preexisting conditions like mine. This is just plain cruel.

I choose compassion over cruelty. I choose Pete Buttigieg. He is offering a national public insurance option. This is a common sense, practical and affordable solution to the nation’s healthcare crisis. Lifelong healthcare is a right, not a privilege for the select few. Please join me in voting for Pete Buttigieg on March 3.

Marshal Cawley
Austin, MN