In the beginning, most people had never heard of Bernie Sanders. They said he would never last this long in the race, especially facing competition like Hillary Clinton. First of all, he is a senator of Vermont, which is a state that I'll admit, even I forget exists sometimes. He's kind of old, being born in 1941 and all, but my grandpa's the same age and a pretty cool guy.
A lot of people don't like Bernie Sanders because they claim he is only surviving because millennials are making him a trend — "#FeelTheBern." But there's a reason he is trending! What people forget is, millennials did not get us into the corrupt political and economic situation we are in today, the older generations did. I think it's about time everyone stopped blaming people 25 and under for the issues of today's society, since most of us are just trying to fix all the damage and make a better future for the world. So, why do so many people around the age of 20 love Bernie Sanders? He wants a better future, plain and simple. Here are some things about Bernie that I love, not in any specific order:
1. He's a Jew from Brooklyn!
A lot of pretty awesome people are from Brooklyn, including Bernie. If elected President, he would be the first Jewish-born President of the United States as well.
2. He's been fighting for civil rights for years!
Most of the other candidates cannot say the same. He even participated in the 1963 March on Washington and fought for civil rights on campus at the University of Chicago. In 1996, he voted against the Defense of Marriage Act, but Hillary Clinton has been opposed to gay marriage until about 2012. What we need in a President is a person who believes everyone should have a chance at a good future, no matter what gender, race, religion, etc. you are. (And we all know one specific candidate who is the opposite of that).
3. He wants to focus on real issues, like education.
His idea to make public colleges free will be hard to achieve, but with him fighting for it in office, it will be possible to at least make it much more affordable and reduce the massive student debt issue. There are areas which can be altered in order to make college more affordable, like the prison systems, and he has a plan for that.
4. He wants to expand funding for Planned Parenthood, not cut it.
People forget that Planned Parenthood isn't just there for performing abortions. They help tremendously with regular health care for women, STD screenings, etc. and are lacking funding. In many areas of this country, there is not a women's health care office for miles and miles, but by adding funding to Planned Parenthood, we would be able to make proper health care more available for many women who need it. It is proven that proper health care and sex education are much more effective at preventing pregnancy and disease than abstinence only education, and funding Planned Parenthood would help significantly lower teen pregnancy and disease.
5. Bernie Sanders is very humble.
He doesn't care about what his hair looks like, and he even flies coach. (Both seen in the picture below). He grew up in a working-class family, the youngest son of two immigrants from Poland, and did not attend an Ivy League college. He understands what it is like to have to build yourself up from the bottom, rather than being handed things your entire life.
7. He cares about our veterans.
... and is not afraid to speak out about how much war, in general, is a damage to our country in more ways than just spending. He doesn't just "talk" about it either, he was a big reason that billions of dollars were added to the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs in 2014 and recognizes that their access to health care, housing, education, and employment needs to be improved.
8. He cares about the environment and climate change.
Many people 40 and over try to brush off climate change because they won't be around to see the worst of it. But, my grandchildren will and Bernie recognizes that if things don't change now, the future will only get a lot worse. Here's a link to his full plan for combating climate change: https://berniesanders.com/issues/climate-change/
9. He cares about rights for people with disabilities and about the health care system in general.
Many people are so focused on discrimination of other groups, that they forget about the discrimination of those with any kind of disability. On his website, there is even a link for his actual plan for fighting for more disability rights: https://berniesanders.com/issues/fighting-for-disa.... Nearly 1 in 5 Americans have some type of disability, yet many cannot get the health care or services they need. Bernie fought against a budget proposal that would have taken 27 million Americans off of their health insurance, and he recognizes that the future of Social Security is going to be obsolete without major changes.
There are many more things that I like about Bernie Sanders, but most of all, I find him to be the realest, most personable, and least corrupt candidate. Throughout his life and political career, he has been fighting for issues that matter. He doesn't just say things that he thinks people want to hear, he actually speaks from his heart, mind, and experiences. He doesn't want small change, he wants big change that will last long enough for our great-grandchildren to feel. He's against corruption and wants to break up the big banks, which were a huge reason for the economic turmoil and collapse of the housing market that we experienced around 2008. He knows that the trickle down effect doesn't work, but building up the middle-class will. He wants to hold people accountable and clean Washington of fraud. Trump's campaign slogan is "Make America Great Again," but I believe the candidate who can actually do that and actually wants to do that is Bernie Sanders, a true American progressive.
So thank you, Bernie, for continuing to fight for the rights of the people, and never giving up. Your campaign has given me some hope for the future of this country, which is hard to do.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Millennial
