With the presidential elections just around the corner, everyone is wondering who stands for what and who to vote for. I won’t tell you who vote for, per se, but as this article is about Bernie Sanders, I think you can guess who I’m voting for.
About him:
Bernie is the junior US Senator from Vermont (oh, we like him already) and a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president in the upcoming election. He was involved in the civil rights movement and (as you can see above) arrested for protesting segregation.
He was Burlington’s mayor for four terms before moving on to the House of Representatives in 1990 and Senate in 2006. When he got re-elected for Senator in 2012, he won by a landslide of 71% of popular vote.
What he’s about:
Sanders platform rests on income equality, climate change, LGBT rights, war, immigration and several other important pillars. Sanders is trying to get income equality for those of us who are not in the 1%.
Income equality:
He supports fair taxing for large corporations and the wealthy, raising minimum wage to $15/hr, job synthesis by reparations of infrastructure, equal pay for women along with other important issues. If you’ve tuned out by now, tune back in, because Sanders is trying to make tuition free at public universities. (That means here).
LGBT rights:
Sanders supports marriage equality and during his first term as mayor of Burlington supported our first-ever Pride Parade. He said of the recognition of same-sex marriage as a right in all 50 states, that it was a “victory for same-sex couples across our country as well as all those seeking to live in a nation where every citizen is afforded equal rights.” Sanders wants to sign into law the Equality Act and any bill that discriminates against LGBT people. This includes barring discrimination in housing, banks, creditors and schools.
War:
Sanders believes that war should be the last possible option. He supports the Iran Deal because Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons may cost unknown future loss of life and destabilize the region. He stresses the need for diplomacy. If we end up engaging in military action, he wants to have a clear plan and is limited in scope. He also wants to control the NSA, abolish the use of torture, and close Guantanamo Bay.
Immigration:
Sanders feels strongly about immigration. He recognizes that we are a nation of immigrants and his own parents are immigrants. He would try to reform immigration policies so that the working class undocumented would be treated fairly and paid fairly for the backbreaking work they do every day. He is also trying to increase the wages of seasonal guest workers who come from other countries to work here.
If you’re unclear as to any ideas presented in the article, all of the information was found on https://berniesanders.com/ and can be accessed at any time.