The MFJS Reporter — Winter 2020 T-R

DENVER— Vermont Senator, Bernie Sanders, spoke in Denver at the Colorado Convention Center on Sun., Feb. 16, 2020, with the hopes of persuading voters for the upcoming election. This is Sander’s second run for the Democratic nomination for president, having lost to Hilary Clinton in 2016. 

Over 11,000 supporters packed into the Exhibition Hall, which was previously scheduled for the Bellco Theatre but moved “due to high demand,” according to Sander’s campaign team. 

A major theme throughout the speech, was Sanders’ dedication to help working-class Americans. 

“This is a campaign of the working class, by the working class, and for the working class,” Sanders exclaimed. 

Sanders appeared shocked for a moment when the crowd excitedly chanted his name and waved the red, white, and blue campaign signs in the air, demonstrating their approval. To this he joked that being a senator has made his ego inflate. However, the praise did not get to his head, as he reminded the audience that this campaign is not about him, but rather the working people of the United States. 

Sanders told the crowd that the United States economy is not booming like President Trump has claimed in the past. 

“No matter what President Trump says, the fact is, we saw a 1% increase in income last year,” Sanders said.

He explained that an economy does not improve that way, but rather, it improves by a bottom up system. Workers are in need of a minimum wage increase because it has been a long time since there has been any growth to workers paychecks. 

“Today an average American worker is not making a nickel more in real dollars than they did forty-five years ago,” Sanders explained further.

The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, but it varies state-by-state. In Colorado, the minimum wage is $12 an hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Sanders purposes to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour for the United States.

Isabella Jimenez, a junior at Metropolitan State in Denver, said she supports Sanders because she currently pays for her college education, but it has not been easy.

“I currently work two jobs while going to college. This is to pay for my education and my family’s health care,” Jimenez explained. 

She explained that her family has always worked multiple jobs, but now they just can’t seem to make ends meet. She is an advocate of Bernie Sanders’ medical care plan because her mother suffers from breast cancer and her family cannot afford to pay the medical bills. 

“The medical care costs in this country are putting my family and I in debt,” Jimenez said.

Sanders believes that healthcare is a right. He is in favor of Medicare for everyone in the United States because he sees the affects it has on the working class.

Sanders explained, “500,000 people go bankrupt every year due to medical debt.” 

This is no way a country should run according to Sanders. In his speech, he clarified that a major contributor to this debt is the pharmaceutical companies. Bernie Sanders was stone faced when he educated the crowd on the reality of this situation.  

“Because of greed of the pharmaceutical industry, we pay by far the highest prices for prescription drugs. This is going to stop with me as your President,” Sanders said.

The crowd again showed their support by chanting his name even louder this time.

Sanders ended his speech by asking the audience for their support in the Colorado primary. 

His wife, Jane O’ Meara Sanders, met him at the podium as his campaign song “Power to the People” by John Lennon played. 

Over the loud and lively music, local elementary school teacher Jack Whitney shouted to me, “This man is going to be our next president because he will help this country and the working class succeed!”