I’ve been contemplating the reaction of some of Hillary Clinton’s supporters who are still withholding support from Barack Obama.

I believe that one reason that some Hillary supporters are holding back is that they are hurt, and from that hurt are reacting by wanting to hurt back - giving pain because they are in pain.

These feelings of hurt are real, of course.  I don’t want to be in judgment, however I would like to help people to make positive choices that serve their values and would create a brighter future.  

Our feelings are so useful, in that they can lead us to our deep beliefs and societal programmings, bringing them to light and giving us the choice to keep or change those beliefs.

Hillary recognizes that John McCain would further crush almost everything that she believes in – universal health care, care for kids, women and families, a fair economic system, and a rational foreign policy. 

Many of Hillary’s supporters (some of my friends among them) deeply felt the harsh way that Hillary was sometimes mistreated.  In this past hard fought primary, both she and Barack recognized and I believe have now apologized to each other for the intensity. 

Our culture – movies, books, stories, music – has trained us to identify a “bad guy” and then enjoy seeing him punished.  I believe that we are born with the capacity for revenge, and that we are also born with the capacity for forgiveness and coming together.

The punishment-oriented, ‘eye-for-an-eye’ mentality creates severe societal problems.

For one example, while other modern Western countries rehabilitate a large percentage of people in their prisons so they never offend again, the U.S. with it’s punishment and retribution approach turns vastly more of them out harder, more bitter, and ready to offend again.  It’s self-defeating.

Another example: after the Vietnam war our country successfully rehabilitated thousands of soldiers from heroin addiction through a combination of free treatment and imprisonment only with repeat offenses or associated crimes. 

Under the supposed “law and order” Republicans, the treatment aspect was dropped in the 70’s and prisons began to unnecessarily fill with people who could have been returned to productive and valuable lives.

“You did wrong so we are going to hurt you.”  “You hurt someone so you deserve pain.”  “You hurt my friend so I hate you.”

My Clinton friends, do these kinds of hard feelings and beliefs resonate in your hearts?  Take a breath and check in – how does it feel to hold these?  Is there something else that could be done with that hurt? 

How about turning that energy to further women’s issues by supporting the candidate who is by far most women-friendly?  (certainly not McCain!)

Hillary has moved beyond her personal pain and anger and has graciously forgiven – perhaps not yet the media - but she has forgiven Barack.  They are on the same team.  We are on the same team.

Yes, Obama is relatively less experienced, yet so was JFK, Martin Luther King, Gandhi in his young lawyer days taking on Apartheid, and Nelson Mandela as a young leader. 

Can we all accept apologies, come back to the ideals that bind us as progressives, follow Hillary’s lead and choose to act in ways that transform rather than punish and hurt? 

Let us heal.  Let us move forward together.  Let us bring to life the policies that Hillary and Barack both support, that will create a brighter, safer, more loving and meaningful world for our children.