Hillary Clinton is currently the lead Democratic candidate for the 2016 presidential election. Clearly, many Americans are rooting for Hillary, as she would be the first woman president our country has ever seen. Talk about change, right? However, there is another candidate who could bring more change to this country than Clinton ever could. Bernie Sanders. Sanders considers himself a democratic-socialist because he favors the policies of many European countries. While in college he was active in the Civil Rights Movement leading the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and even marching with Dr. Martin Luther King. Millennials, young adults born between 1980 and 2000, should strongly consider Sanders as a presidential candidate. Since millennials are beginning to outnumber baby-boomers it is up to us to decide this nation’s future. Nearly all of the issues he is focusing on have the ability to vastly impact our lives and our children's futures.
1. College tuition
$70 billion a year. That is how much the federal government and states would need to invest in order to cut United States college tuition IN HALF. Now, we know, $70 billion sounds like an absurd amount of money…but is it really? Just recently President Obama released a budget proposal in which $561 billion was requested for the Department of Defense. If that money were invested into education rather than the military it could cut college tuition by 55%. Sanders is trying to follow the lead of countries like Sweden and Denmark whose students receive free or inexpensive higher education. As a country, how much does education truly matter to us?
2. Strict gun control
On July 23rd, a shooting took place in a Lafayette, Louisiana movie theater. This marks the 206th mass shooting since the beginning of 2015. As many would assume, this is a large reason why Bernie Sanders is calling for stricter gun laws. If Bernie got his way, no one with a criminal background, domestic abuse history, or considered mentally unstable would be able to own a firearm.
3. Climate Change
Young people need to realize that global climate change IS a real issue and it IS due to human error. If we want this planet to be around for the rest of our lives, our children’s lives, and our grandchildren’s lives we need to take action now. Bernie Sanders is in support of moving our energy system towards efficiency and sustainability, and away from damaging fossil fuels. He also secured $3.2 billion in grants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and install over 9,500 solar energy systems.
4. $15 Minimum Wage
Currently the national minimum wage is $7.25, most Americans work full-time and may need two to three jobs to support themselves and their families on this wage. Bernie Sanders proudly stands with the Fight for 15 to raise the national minimum wage to $15 an hour. In doing this, 62 million Americans, including half of all Black workers and nearly 60% of Latino workers would benefit. Going against the Republican-ran House and Senate, a surprising 63% of all Americans actually support a $15 minimum wage.
5. Women’s Health and Rights
When the Affordable Heath Care Act went into action, the full cost of any birth control form was guaranteed free for every woman with insurance. Shortly after, a Supreme Court decision retracted that and said women could only be fully covered if their bosses said it was okay. This became problematic when bosses attempted to make this decision using religion as a crutch. Bernie Sanders is attempting to reverse this, stating “Women should make their own health care decisions, not their employers.” Sanders is also trying to make it so that every woman gets 12 weeks paid leave after giving birth.
If all of that wasn’t enough for you, Sanders is in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, he will not accept super PAC support, and he even has his own folk album. Bernie’s ideas are simple, refreshing, and just what this nation needs in order to continue moving forward.
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