On June 7, 2016, just a few days ago, Hillary Clinton won the nomination as the DNC presidential candidate. While millions rejoiced, many other people, particularly young Americans, were disappointed by the loss faced by the progressive figurehead, Bernie Sanders.
For many young Americans Bernie exemplifies change. Bernie called for reform of a system that is failing America’s young people.
From his own website his most important issues are things that are important to a majority of young Americans:
- Income and wealth inequality
- It’s time to make college tuition free and debt free
- Getting big money out of politics and restoring democracy
- Creating decent paying jobs
- A living wage
- Combating climate change to save the planet
Bernie had a lot of big plans and he seemed to take a more common ground with all people, he is an outsider vowing to change the system. Something that particularly stuck with me, as I’m sure with many other people my age earning a college degree, was his plans for lowering the costs of college and lessening the burden of debt.
Something unique to today’s young people is the debt we face when trying to obtain a college education. Everyone has a different economic background and families have varying abilities to pay for a child’s college education, but more often than not, the system points us to loans. Loans are not unique to us, as many of our parents had take them out as well, but adding to the similar debt of our parents is the decline in the job market that is leaving college kids scrambling for their first “real job” not at Dunkins or McDonalds. A study from Bloomberg.com shows the decline in the labor market. Entering into the labor market after college in a slump like this can affect people long into their lives because they are not being built up on a stable base but rather on a broken foundation.
In 2014, a Gallup poll showed how increasing college debt takes lifelong tolls on those who are straddled with it. I encourage you to read their article on college debt and how it is affecting the lives of students today.
Bernie is just about the only well known old white man to ever say something about lowering the cost of college. He took us all by storm, presenting ideas that Donald Trump would have him burned at the stake for.
But, as we just recently saw, Hillary won the DNC nomination. And all those who were “feeling the Bern” were anti-climatically, put out. There is no doubt that there will be many Bernie-or-Bust write in votes, and that is understandable as all of the drastic changes that Bernie spoke of are dashed with either a Hillary nomination that promises most likely a flat line continuation of the Obama administration or a Trump nomination that promises world destruction.
Bernie seemed to understand the worries of many young people, and that is what made (makes) him so popular.
Bernie had hopeful politics, and I feel for anyone who is a first time voter, as I am, this is probably one of the worst elections to vote in. Shifty politics and general buffoonery have been the tone of this election season, making it very hard to form an actual opinion.
Bernie’s stance on the right to a free public college education is just one part of what made him popular to young people. And as much as I hate to say it, it seems as though we are just going to have to wait and see. Bernie has declared that he is not giving up. He may be able to push his voice into popular politics after the election, pulling the American people more toward a progressive movement.
And his progressivism is what changed the game in this election, it planted the seed in young American’s heads that they don’t have to conform to the ideals of a capitalistic government, and that someone who goes against those ideas can actually succeed and does have a place in American politics. Maybe this year, there was too much turmoil for someone like Bernie to succeed, but like his campaign, don’t give up.
Bernie may not become president, but his ideas like lowering the costs of college can still be pushed for.
