It is no secret that Bernie Sanders, Democratic Presidential hopeful, is slowly creeping up against Clinton in the polls, with him surpassing her in the double-digits for important states such as New Hampshire and Iowa. Sanders has been notoriously known for his "radical" yet necessary stances for human rights issues that are currently plaguing our country, with basic needs for the lower/middle class not being met by any president we have had yet. Are his opinions and ideas really as crazy liberal as everyone has said? Or is it time for this country to turn around our own flawed views of selfishness among our community and realize that we as citizens need to help others. This week, I went around campus asking University of Arizona students about each of Bernie's stances and what they thought about his ideologies.
8. Civil Rights:
Ever since Sanders has started his interest in politics, he was always a firm believer in basic civil rights for all of mankind. When he was in his early 20s, Sanders even marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington D.C. when King made his famous "I Have A Dream" speech and was a huge advocate for the Civil Rights Movement throughout the 1960s. He also deems himself as a "feminist" making one of his platforms to give equal pay for all genders as well as making it mandatory for all corporations and businesses to guarantee paid paternity and maternity leave for employees. As for gay marriage? Bernie Sanders has been a firm and staunch supporter since the early 1970s, making him the most LGBT-friendly candidate today. "Honestly, it is kinda absurd that most of the GOP candidates don't really show support for any of these policies that Bernie wants. I mean, 2015 is coming to a close and our country has pretty much accepted gay marriage and equal rights, so if a presidential candidate doesn't believe in that, then you probably won't get my vote or my friends." - Melanie F., 18, Undecided major.
7. Tax Reform:
Sanders has long been a supporter for taxing the wealthiest of this country, stating that it will boost economic growth as well as aid in public spending for sectors that desperately need it such as education, the environment, etc. He also stated how property taxes only hurt those paying for it such as the poor and the elderly. Sanders also finds that the tax inequality between the wealthiest, who only have to pay less than 15%, and the poor/middle class, who have to pay 30%, are too great, therefore implementing a system that would base tax payment off the ability to pay what one earns. "I actually never really knew much about the way taxes were distributed in this country, but seeing how the rich pay less than half of what middle-class families like mine just is simply unfair and wrong. I can definitely see were Bernie is coming from." - Jackson B., 20, Engineering major.
6. War:
The subject of war has always been a no-vote for Sanders, rejecting military force in Iraq in 2002. However even though he opposes war 99% of the time, in extreme cases does he find use for it, such as the current ISIS situation in the Middle East that is a threat to the current Western world. "Although war is always a heartbreak on the country, military families, and the American people, we must do what we can to stop threats that are immediate and tangible like ISIS, however, I do see how the Iraq War was unjust and probably needed more evidence to invade just as Sanders said." - Michael C., 20, Political Science major.
5. Environment:
The environment is one of Sanders' most fought causes in his campaign currently, stating that the United States must be the front runner for greener initiatives. He introduced a methane and carbon tax for those companies that contribute wholly to dangerous emissions and implemented a program to upgrade hundreds of thousands of buildings to a greener standard. One campaign that Sanders really pushes for is the labeling of GMO foods in America, something that other European nations mandate. "Personally, I think Bernie Sanders is the only logical presidential candidate. He legitimizes scientists and realizes that they are experts in this field and their opinions are much more relevant than those who do not know anything about climate change. I love him because he has successful platforms that were proven successful in other governments such as the ones modeled in Europe like the GMO labeling." - Carissa C., 21, Marin Biology major.
4. Police Reform:
Sanders has seen that the current police brutality problem among African-American communities has been linked to direct racism and out-of-touch police practices that must be changed by the government. His ideas for a more productive police forces include requiring that all policemen and women carry body cameras on them while on duty, establish new police training, and mandate that all police officers be held accountable for all shootings while on-duty or while someone is in police custody. "It's funny how every time I see a police officer while driving or on the street I feel somewhat unconformable. Aren't police officers suppose to make you feel safe? Not threatened or made as if you are doing something wrong. Maybe Bernie's ideas for police reform would greatly change negative feelings on the police and vice versa " - Alicia Z., 19.
3. Women's Healthcare:
As always a pro-choice politician, Sanders believes that everything regarding what a woman should do with her body is her choice, and politicians should only be there to facilitate in aiding that choice. He also believes that focusing more on contraceptives and how to prevent pregnancy would drastically cut the overall need for abortion. Sanders voted on increasing stem cell research to help find cures for many current incurable diseases and ailments. "I like that Bernie Sanders is one of the only people fighting for my rights as a woman, and he's an old guy! It's so annoying that politicians are trying to tell me what to do with my body when they have nothing to do with it." - Laura S. 19, Undecided major.
2. Education:
Sanders' education policy has been seen as potentially one of the biggest turning points in America today, giving free access to all higher education in this country. He has seen the positive and powerful impact that education has given to many, including himself, and sees that education is one of the most important indicators for lowering poverty and crime rates. Sanders also sees that giving more money to K-12 public education would immediately give way to a new generation of children that see others placing emphasis on their futures, and in return, have these same kids put more value in education. "I have so much debt right now because of being an out-of-state student, I am actually scared that I have to pay it all back. Having free tuition for college would have literally erased all of my anxiety due to my loans, especially since I am graduating in May." - Sarah L., 21 Communications major.
1. Stopping Corporate Money in Washington:
Sanders gets a lot of crap for being deemed as a "socialist" or "communist," emphasizing more money in public spending. However, what if we are all just too brainwashed to see that the same exact thing is happening in Washington now? But instead of the government regulating and owning corporations, what if the corporations are owning politics? Sanders believes that big money being lobbied into Congress and the Senate for certain bills or initiatives needs to stop, and instead, have politicians want the best for the American people, not corporations. This is why he is one of the first, and currently only, presidential candidates to be only funded by the citizens, and has not taken any money from big businesses deemed unethical by his standards. This is probably the single most important thing that Sanders has fought so hard for. He is the only candidate currently that actually cares about you, the struggling student, the impoverished mother, the small business owner, the veteran, and every other scenario of the American person, he cares about. Can you say the same thing about the other candidates both Republican and Democrat?
"I think Bernie has something that most of us millennials need, someone to guide this country to where the next generation will be left with a country that was better than it was before. I am afraid that if we get someone like Hilary or Trump, we might fall back into a system based on fear, regression, and of course, the rich."- Jake S., 21, Sports Management major.
