Today we met Bernie Sanders

Purdue University was feeling the Bern today

Bernie Sanders visited Purdue University today. He spoke to about 2,300 attendees about why he deserves Indiana’s vote in the upcoming primaries to become the Democratic nominee.

Those present included Purdue students and faculty, residents of the greater Tippecanoe County area, and residents even coming from a few hours away in other parts of Indiana. The audience appeared highly supportive of Bernie Sanders and responded vocally after every point he made.

Sanders expressed, “If we want a candidate who will be the strongest candidate to defeat Trump or any other Republican, you are looking at that candidate.” Those present at the Purdue rally definitely agreed.

Many students had a few words to say about why they support Bernie Sanders’ campaign.

 

Prachant Bradwell, Senior in Management

“So pretty much whenever I am supporting a political candidate, I am looking for someone who you can see is a genuine human being, so I am liking Bernie Sanders and his views. Also you can look at the other side… That’s really what I am looking for the most.”

 

Allegra Aguirre, Sophomore in Political Science and Economics

“I think he is a very strong candidate because he doesn’t attack his competitors the way we’ve seen Trump and Hillary really start to get feisty in this race. A lot of the points that he is bringing up are radical, but they are kind of like a 60’s-hippie radical. It’s like you are on his side because he just wants to analyze what is going on in our government to find out where all the money is going, what people are doing and what people want, and he’s not just going to go back to the office and sit there like a sitting duck.”

 

Paige Kuchy, Sophomore in Sustainable Farming

“Attending the Bernie Sanders rally was very educational, and it gave me a good idea about his values. It was a great chance to explore different political views. I really liked his ideas on climate change and carbon taxation- I think those are two great things that this country needs in order to have the world move forward.”

 

Dean Gaddy, Senior in Social Studies Education

 “I support Bernie because his policies are for everybody, not just the 1% or a specific group of people. It benefits everybody, really the average citizen. As a future teacher, I know that I am really not going to be making the type of money that a lot of conservative candidates say that is necessary to survive, especially with their policies. He is also honest, that’s another thing- he’s not backed by billionaires or super-packs. He’s a straightforward honest candidate who can actually relate to the people unlike Hillary or Trump who separate themselves with a giant stack of money.”


 

Bernie connected to Purdue students on countless subjects: encouraging a ban on fracking, raising the minimum wage to $15 nationally, legalizing the medical use of marijuana, taxing carbon, implementing free college tuition for all, giving women equal pay, and acknowledging the realities of climate change. “Let me tell you what rigged economy is all about. Here is America today, the top one tenth of the 1% now owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%. The wealthiest 20 people own more wealth than the bottom 150 million — half of our nation’s population.” He also pointed out realities such as how the Waldon family, the owners of Walmart, own more money than 40% of our nation.

Bernie stated, “Here is a political reality. Republicans win elections when people are demoralized and when they have given up on the political process. Progressives and Democrats win elections when people are hopeful, when they are excited, when they understand that we can bring real change to this country.” He continued, “I want a Democracy where every person in this room, in this state, in this country understands that together all of us have enormous power and together we can transform this country. Together we understand that the the United States government represents all of the people, not just wealth campaign contributors.”

Many Purdue students connected with what Bernie had to say, and he definitely won some solid votes today.

However, not all Purdue students are Bernie fans, and some expressed their distaste for his arrival.

Many students were holding posters with including “Say No to Socialism” and “Boilermakers, not Boilertakers.”

 

Garren Brag, Senior in OLS and organizer of the protest

“We are not opposed to Bernie Sanders being here, we’re actually very glad that Purdue has an opportunity to be involved in the conversation that is the presidential election, and Indiana plays a huge role in the primaries this season, which we are very excited about. What we are opposed to and what we are out here for is the policies Senator Sanders has proposed during this election. Bernie Sanders is a self-described socialist. We don’t think that is insignificant at all — I think that is lost on many of our peers. I think it is important that the media and the public realize that there are millennials that are conservative. There are those of us who still believe in capitalism and still believe that free-market economics works.”

Some Boilermakers also indicated support for other candidates through sidewalk chalk art. Of course I took the matters in my own hands, and reacted as an any mature, Democratic millennial would.

 

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