‘UVA for Bernie Sanders’ wants everyone to vote

The Virginia primary will be held on March 1st. Unfortunately, on our own Grounds, there have not been too many groups dedicated to the awareness of the candidates of this election cycle.

One group that has, is UVA for Bernie Sanders, which is dedicated (clearly) to the Sanders’ campaign. However, they also encourage people to become active members of the American political process.

I’ve only been to a handful of events that they’ve hosted, but the energy they radiate is unlike anything I’ve seen (but really, haters, this is an OP-ED piece).

For the sake of engaging in democracy, I wish there were more groups dedicated to specific candidates. Yes, it’s a fleeting thing – it deals with only the upcoming elections. But you have the opportunity to stand behind a person you believe in, a person who is going to run the country for at least the next four years.

Ben Rudgley, a fourth year, says: “The only way to meaningfully address issues like poverty, mass incarceration and climate change is for millions of people in all fifty states to become engaged with the political process and demand that their legislators pass popular reforms or face being voted out of office.

“This campaign is, as I understand it, about transforming America into the vibrant democracy its people deserve it to be.”

The first step, though, is to make sure that we all have the opportunity to actually go ahead and fill out the ballot. UVA For Bernie Sanders created a petition that asks for a day off from school during the Virginia primary, or at least leniency with regards to attendance.

Of course, the idea is not that only students who are voting for Sanders should get to the polls – regardless of your political leaning, every citizen should have the capacity to exercise their rights.

The UVA for Bernie Sanders group is very active with regards to campaigning efforts. It hosts many events, including phone-banking every day, canvassing, and debate watch parties.

And although it may not seem that these events are very important on the grand scale, everything counts. They have also hosted larger events, including a rally in Downtown Charlottesville, and are going to host another one in the same location on February 27th.

And yes, our very own precious Martese Johnson is a Sanders supporter, as indicated by his speech at the previous rally (hint hint, wink wink).

The group started with the help of Rich Olszewski, Nour Sulaiman, Ben Berger, and Ben Rudgley.

According to Nour and Rich, “so long as…meetings and events like canvassing and debate watch parties are well-attended, the group will remain a viable force for change on Grounds and in the US generally.”

In other words,  volunteers and leaders of this campaign can help personify #FeeltheBern. 

Even with all the logistical difficulties present in starting such a group, they felt it was an important force for a different future. Supporters like Rich support Bernie because of “his commitment to economic justice.  If you are committed to racial justice, you have to be committed to economic justice, and vice-versa. Bernie’s campaign has been very good about bringing that basic fact to light.”

In addition, Nour believes that Sanders tackles the issue of climate change and that “it’s incredible to see a candidate that is passionate about reforming [the criminal justice] system that affects the most vulnerable segments of our population.”

The group is definitely driven. It’s important, especially in this election cycle, to understand the issues and become involved. You may not necessarily agree with Bernie’s policies, but you can admire that this group is attempting to become involved in something they believe in.

We don’t have to be voting for the same candidate, but we should definitely let our voices be heard. Don’t miss the chance to express yourself and your needs as a citizen of these United States. There are many ways to get involved, so don’t shy away. I, for one, could never skip election day.

If you want to support Sanders on Grounds, check out UVA for Bernie Sanders.