UNIVERSITY PARK — Chants of “We Are … Penn State” followed chants of “Bernie, Bernie” before Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders took the stand April 19 in Rec Hall at Penn State University.
Sanders took the podium at 7:15 p.m. and spoke for about an hour in front of 6,655 cheering spectators.
“It looks like Penn State is ready for a political revolution,” he said.
Sanders addressed the need for such a revolution against corruption in campaign spending and in economics, one of many campaign points he covered in his speech.
He referenced his campaign’s lack of any financial support from super PACs and reliance on individual donations.
“Anybody know the individual campaign donation?” Sanders asked the crowd. The answer was unanimous and loud: “Twenty-seven dollars!”
Sanders mentioned the importance of the youth vote again and again while addressing the crowd. The primary elections in Pennsylvania take place Tuesday, April 26.
Sanders dismissed the idea that young people are disengaged with political ideas and the issues faced in the country.
“Young people fully understand,” said Sanders. “They are the future of our country and they want to help determine the future of this country.”
He also focused on student debt and high tuition costs. He mentioned that Penn State University is tied with the University of Pittsburgh as the most expensive public school in the country.
He discussed the need for higher education at this time, and the pressure students feel to continue their education, despite the high cost.
“Why are we punishing millions of young people for doing exactly what we asked them to do?” he asked.
Sanders suggested free college tuition as well as lower interest rates for students with student loan debt.
Sanders mentioned the need for transparency in Wall Street and to break up big banks, especially those that were saved following the economic crisis of 2008-2009.
Sanders said that the fraudulent actions of Wall Street hurt millions of Americans without consequence, while someone caught with the possession of marijuana gains a criminal record for the remainder of his or her life.
“Together we’re gonna bring justice back to a broken criminal justice system,” said Sanders. As the crowd cheered, Sanders, in a navy blue suit, light blue shirt and navy blue tie, stood still, hands gripping the podium, looking out over the crowd.
Sanders warned spectators that, without change, the end of the American dream was upon us because this generation’s standard of living will be lower than that of its parents.
“This campaign is about thinking outside the box, challenging the status quo,” said Sanders.
This led Sanders to one of his most famous campaign platforms: raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
“It’s not a radical idea to suggest that if you work 40 hours a week in this country, you should not live in poverty,” he said.
Sanders also passionately mentioned the need for equal wages between genders before sharing his plan to pay for the raise in minimum wage, free tuition and free health care, another of his main platforms.
“We’re gonna invest in jobs and education, not jail,” said Sanders.
Sanders then suggested the reform of local police forces by demilitarization, ensuring that officers are held accountable for actions and ensuring that police forces reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
Sanders mentioned multiple minority groups, including African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans. He criticized the high rates of arrest for young African-American males, promised to pass comprehensive immigration reform with a path towards citizenship and declared a need for change in the government’s treatment of Native Americans.
Sanders also suggested the creation of 13 million new jobs to improve inner cities rather than continuing to spend money on the War in Iraq.
“We have got to invest in inner cities in this country and rebuild our infrastructure,” he said. “If we can rebuild the infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan, we damn well can rebuild the infrastructure in America.”
Sanders finished his speech by criticizing establishment politics and encouraging spectators to stand up and question the way things are.
“Enough is enough,” he said in unison with the crowd.
He challenged the spectators to help achieve the highest voter turnout in Pennsylvania’s history and left them with a message of encouragement.
“Our strength is in our diversity,” he said. “When we stand together, there is nothing we can’t accomplish.”
