UF “felt the Bern” Thursday morning when Bernie Sanders spoke to students, the Gainesville community and UF visitors.
Thousands of people attended the event, and many people waited hours in line before the doors at the University Village South Field officially opened at 8 a.m. Attendees were covered in Bernie memorabilia ranging from shirts, hats and “Butts 4 Bernie” stickers. And Sanders himself wore a blue Gator hat for the event — well played, Bernie.
Sanders covered all aspects of his platform including income inequality, healthcare for all and campaign finance corruption. “We have today a corrupt campaign finance system, which is undermining American democracy,” Sanders said at the event.
Sanders highlighted that democracy is all about one person representing one vote rather than billionaires buying elections. He also said that his campaign proves that if someone wants to run for office, he or she can do it without begging people for campaign contributions.
Sanders’s speech discussed income equality and a rigged economy. “What a rigged economy means is that unless we turn this economy around, your generation is likely to have a lower standard of life than your parents,” he said. “I want to see the American Dream go forward, not backwards.”
Sanders also addressed the faults in the criminal justice system. “We are going to invest in schools and education, not jails and incarceration,” Sanders said.
Sanders briefly mentioned his beliefs regarding marriage equality, women’s rights to their body and pay equity for men and women.
“I hope every man here will band with the women to fight for pay equity,” he said. After this statement, the crowd, both men and women, cheered.
Sanders’s most famous aspect of his platform is by far healthcare and his belief that everyone should be entitled to it. “I believe healthcare is a right of all people, not a privilege,” he said at the rally.
Sanders’s speech lasted about an hour, and most people in attendance stayed through his last words. His speech represented his beliefs, his platform and what he would like to see accomplished in the next presidency.
“This is a great country, and we can do a lot better than we are doing now,” he said.
Cover photo credit: tampabay.com
All other photos courtesy of Marisa Masters