Millennials, born somewhere between late 1980s and early 2000s, have reached a tipping point in society. As of this year we outnumber the baby boomers, meaning if we unite for a cause, we should get what we want. The 2016 presidential election is approaching, and whoever wins will be able to elect several supreme court members who will serve a lifetime position.
The trouble with people our age is the “uniting” part. We grew up hearing and seeing the hypocrisy of politicians, leaving us apathetic. We were promised a fulfilling life and job if we went to college and got a degree, but now that we're here, only 17% of us actually have jobs lined up upon graduation and we are burdened with an average student debt of $29,000 in Michigan alone.
Bernie Sanders wants to make four year public college and universities free, giving $70 million a year to replace the tuition students pay. Two-thirds of that money would come from the federal government (by imposing a tax on Wall Street investments) and the remaining one-third from the states. His legislation is modeled after systems in place in countries like Germany, Denmark and Sweden. By eliminating the burden of student debt, Sanders would open doors to a brighter future for more Americans.
Next on the list for Sanders is to provide health care for every American and raise the minimum wage to $15. Millennials are the most under-insured generation in history -- roughly one in four do not have any form of insurance. Sanders was a supporter of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, but felt it was only a small step in the right direction. More can be done to help Americans and stop health care companies from profiting billions of dollars a year. Having health care should be a right to every citizen, and not just a privilege for the upper classes. Read more about Bernie's health care legislation here. On raising the minimum wage, Sanders introduced the "Workplace Democracy Act" to strengthen unions.
Climate change is also something Sanders stands for. At this point, there is no denying the reality that we are destroying our planet. The carelessness of generations before us has become our problem. In 2013 Sanders and Barbara Boxer introduced "The Gold Standard for Climate Change" legislation which would tax carbon emissions from the largest fossil fuel producers, raising an estimated $1.2 trillion. The money raised would go towards investing in cleaner, more efficient energy, tripling the federal budget for energy research.The legislation also calls for more rules and restrictions on fracking for oil.
Sanders is the only candidate who does not accept money from big corporations. He deeply believes that we need to get corporations out of politics and stop them from buying our representatives. Since April he has raised over $15 million from individual donors (the average donation being around $33). Sanders wants to repeal the Citizens United Supreme Court decision from 2010 with his constitutional amendment, called "Democracy Is for People." If you're not aware of the Citizens United decision, it basically said that corporations are allowed to spend an unlimited amount of money on advertisements and other political tools for their chosen politician. Sanders also voted for the Disclose Act, which aims to shine a light on the dark money in politics.
Last but certainly not least, Sanders is a spokesman for minorities and women's rights. In 1972 Sanders wrote a letter calling on many changes, including abolishing laws on gay marriage. (Hilary Clinton, on the other hand, said in a 2004 speech that she believes marriage is between a man and a woman). Sanders believes women have a right to their bodies and that birth control should be affordable and available. Sanders was present for Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech and marched on Washington with the audience. Sanders has stated that although we have come a long way since King's iconic speech, the African American community is still facing many persecutions (watch his tribute to "I Have a Dream"). If elected, Sanders would be the first Jewish president.
Bernie Sanders has a long track record of sticking up for the American people. His ideas are refreshing and what we need to restore our country to where it should be, the best in the world. He's fighting for all of the issues that us millennials have been handed. This election is about more than democrat or republican, it's about caring for our own and improving the quality of life in America.
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