Bernie at the Tucson Convention Center, March 18, 2016. Photo credit: Tucson Sentinel

Do I care that Bernie’s Jewish? Nope. I don’t think that he cares either, nor do I think that anyone else cares, and that’s the beauty of it.

I care that he’s a Democratic socialist, which aligns with my political philosophy. I’m Jewish, too, a fact of my heritage, my DNA.

A Jewish Facebook friend posted that he took his young son to hear Bernie at the Tucson Convention Center last night, because he’s “a Jewish socialist” (although this acquaintance is a Hillary supporter).

I guess he’s proud that Bernie’s Jewish. Is he proud that Bernie’s a socialist? I don’t know.

It’s odd to me that we draw attention to someone’s background when it seemingly has little to do with the issue at hand. We all do it, whether it’s conscious or not.

In my last post, I noticed that my three favorite sessions at last week’s Tucson Festival of Books featured Jewish writers; they were so smart, so funny, so insightful, so compassionate.

I noticed. I’m usually in denial about my Jewish identity. Maybe I was proud, too. Maybe I care more than I thought I did?

What I care most about is open-minded consideration of a presidential candidate, foreign policy, or political philosophy, because it aligns with my beliefs and makes sense to me as the right thing to do, not because of a slapped-on label that’s supposed to be me.

We’re all more complex than that.