This past Saturday presidential candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ spoke to a crowd of 6,000 supporters at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield.
Bernie Sanders informally announced his campaign back in April in Burlington, Vermont, his home state. Brenda Greika, a native of Vermont who not only attended the Springfield rally, but was also present that day in Burlington where it all began, spoke about her experience with Sanders. She explained how his name was always shopping up in the news for positive things, such as aiding veterans and the working class. Knowing that Sanders has done well for the state of Vermont, Greika feels comfortable with him as a candidate who will do good for the country as well. “He can’t be bought,” she said.
As a student who has already had to take out loans to pay for my education, Sanders’ campaign speaks to me. As a woman who wants to be able to decide what I do with my own body, Sanders’ campaign speaks to me. And as a human who believes that no one should be marginalized because of their race, class, or sexuality, Sanders’ platform speaks to me. The solidarity felt within that arena between every single person present was powerful. Everything Sanders said felt electric. People everywhere held signs, wore buttons, t-shirts, and stickers all supporting the man they came there to see: Bernie Sanders. Signs displaying clever slogans: “Enter Sandman”, “There’s No B.S. in Bernie Sanders,” and “BERNing with Hope”, were all raised high in the air for attendants and Sander supporters to see.
Tomeka Ligon, a local resident who attended the event said, “I didn’t really know much about the guy before I came here, but after I actually came and saw what he is all about, he’s definitely got my vote.”
Unlike any other presidential campaign before, Sanders continues to build a movement fired by the passion and social awareness of the millennials. Students Erin O’Brien and Rachael Furlong who made the trip from the University of Massachusetts Amherst said before Sanders, they never invested much of their time in politics. They commented on the demographic of the crowd, saying there was a wide variety of ages in attendance. Multiple online social media sites host outlets where these people can come together to share their ideas about Sanders and the upcoming elections, such as Facebook’s Millennials for Bernie Sanders .
Sanders started off his speech by telling the crowd that he believes no president can do what properly need to be done to rebuild the middle class of this country without a political revolution, an idea at the forefront of his campaign. He touched on topics he feels are important to the american people throughout his speech, such as the level of wealth inequality in the U.S. today, his definition of what family values truly means, funding higher education, working to end institutionalized racism, and the problem with the real percent of unemployment in America.
The United States is the wealthiest country in the history of the world he said, but that fact is not always obvious when people are working two jobs at a wage that still cannot sustain them, as well as children going hungry on a daily basis. There is more income and wealth inequality today in the United States than in any other country, that inequality is the worst it has been since 1928, and women are making even less money than seven years ago Sanders said. “Our job is to create an economy that works for all of us, not just the one percent,” said Sanders.
Multiple times throughout the event the crowd erupted in unison chanting one of Sander’s campaign slogans “Enough is Enough.” People cheered and yelled, all while raising their hands in the air and waving their signs. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced before, existing in a space where so many harmonious, passionate people who want to push forward this country in the exact same way came together for one purpose: to see this man and feel hope for a new future.
Wayne Barnaby, a junior at Westfield State, said of the experience, “It’s always nice to be in a crowd of like minded people who truly want a better civilization.” Well now is the time for that civilization. Now more than ever we need a change, and Sanders is the hope for that change.
He also spoke about the United State’s prison system, a system that spends $80 million a year locking up its citizens in a country that holds more people in jail than any other place on earth. Touching on the events of the past year, he spoke about the Black Lives Matter movement, “We have a long way to overcome institutional racism and reform a broken criminal system.
Discussing his plans for college students, Sander said that about 20-25% of students graduate’s incomes goes towards paying off their debt and that the banks profiting off of students has to stop. As president, he wants to refinance student loans at the lowest interest rates possible to give everybody, no matter their financial situation, the opportunity to obtain a higher education. His platform holds the idea that public institutions should have free, higher education.
Here is a man truly for all of the people of this country: women, the elderly, students, children, and everyone in between, wanting the chance to change our country for the better. But this can only happen if we all come together in unison to support the movement.
Brennan Tierney, a student leader of UMass for Bernie Sanders, a group described as “progressive and forward thinking students who believe Bernie Sanders is the best choice for America’s future”, by their Facebook description said, “I encourage the involvement of college students all around this country to acknowledge that we do have power if we use it. We need to stand up and change the fact that we pay the most for higher education, and that we have the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world as well as remain the only major country that doesn’t guarantee health care to every man, woman, and child.”
The group meets Wednesdays in Machmer Hall, room E37 for any students interested in looking to get involved. There will be a rally on October 27th in front of the Student Union at 5:00 p.m. supporting Sanders, lead by the student run organization, open to all students within the area and will host student and faculty speakers. Tables displaying information on Sander’s agenda, as well as information on how to register to vote will be present.
Once the event was over, people flocked out to the streets where merchandise and protesters stood on the sidewalks. A man who went by the name of Rich stood outside holding a sign that read: “Socialism- I am entitled to the fruits of other people’s labor.” His first Sander’s rally, he said what brought him there was to convey a different point of view. Opposing Sanders’ stance on making higher education free, Rich said, “I think if you have skin in the game, you’re going to do better, you’re going to work harder, and you’re going to make your education, you’re going to make it count."
Debates about Sanders and conversations about his campaign brought strangers together. This one man with these big ideas continues to join citizens together of different ages, sexualities, genders, etc all around the United States. It feels bigger than us, though we all want a part in it. Not for selfish purposes, but to truly change our world. There are plenty of people out there who care about what happens to each and every one of us. This is not just about you or me or any one person at the rally, not even about Sanders himself. This is about a new future for our country, our world, and our civilization.
Sanders left the crowd with Neil Young's “Keep on rockin’ in the free world” blasting in their ears, fire in their hearts, and finally a sense of hope for a country that has been destroying itself for far too long now. It is about creating a future that will sustain us, that will fight for justice, defeat inequality to the best of our ability, and come together as a human race. “If we stand together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish,” he said.
Tune in to CNN on October 13th for the first Democratic Debate to see our man Bernie Sanders speak some truth, as well as check out his website for more information. Let's join the political revolution, Bernie Sanders for president.
And a thank you to Katie Donegan for assistance with interviewing and reporting after the event.
