Bernie Sanders Ignites A Packed House During Chicago Campaign Stop
By aaroncynic in News on Aug 18, 2015 3:50PM
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders gave a fiery speech to a packed house of supporters at the Park West Monday night, railing against everything from the lack of universal health care in America to the prison industrial complex and the use of money in politics.
The populist Vermont senator was flanked on stage by former mayoral candidate Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia, Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and Alderman Susan Sadlowski-Garza, as well as members of National Nurse’s United and the People’s Lobby.
“We need someone who is not for sale,” Garcia said, introducing Sanders.
In what was about an hour-long speech, Sanders touched on a laundry list of issues popular with progressives, particularly income inequality and corporate money in politics.
“I don’t believe in the agenda of corporate America,” Sanders said to a room that boomed back with applause and chants of “Bernie.” “I don’t believe in the agenda of the billionaire class and I don’t want their money.”
The Vermont senator, who addressed the crowd as “brothers and sisters,” also called for free public college tuition, funded through a tax on Wall Street, three months paid maternity leave for women, two weeks paid vacation for all U.S. workers and rights for undocumented immigrants. Sanders also addressed racism and police brutality, something he previously had taken heat from activists for not addressing. Towards the end of his speech, he mentioned both Sandra Bland, the Naperville woman who died in a Texas jail cell after a Texas state trooper violently arrested her, and Sam Dubose, an African American man shot in the head by a University of Cincinnati police officer.
“I know you do not want to see any more of those videos of a black woman thrown out of her car,” said Sanders, who also said that he was “appalled” by the shooting of African-Americans by police. “You don’t die in this country for not signaling a right turn…Nobody will fight harder to end institutional racism in this country and reform our broken criminal justice system.”
Some people, like Harry Garner, a Chicago musician, began lining up in front of the Park West as early as 3:00 p.m. for the fundraiser, which didn't begin until nearly 6:00 p.m.
“He’s the only one that speaks for the middle class, for the working class, and for the poor class,” said Garner, a registered independent who twice voted for Obama and said he was “disappointed” in him. “We’re investing a lot of money in the war machine, and endless wars, but we’re not investing anything in the American people or America itself. I think it’s time we reverse that trend.”