Not Me. Us.

By Diana Barbacioru and Kimia Faroughi

On March 24, 2019, over 17,000 people gathered in Great Meadow Park at Fort Mason to listen to Senator and 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speak about his values and turning them into reality if he were to be elected. The rally was not lacking in enthusiasm. Thousands of people cheered, applauded, and chanted as Bernie spoke about the many issues he has long advocated for, once considered “radical,” now considered commonplace within the 2020 Democratic platform. The biggest takeaway from the rally, though, centered around his new slogan, “Not me. Us.” He described how his political and personal experiences have helped him see that no one candidate, not even himself, could take on all the issues that they intend to alone: “It’s easy enough for someone to give you a speech of all the things he or she wants to do. But those changes do not take place unless people stand up and fight back and this is what this campaign is about… if we stand together… there is nothing that we cannot accomplish.”

The rally was a really fun experience. It was very interesting to be among such an energetic and passionate crowd. Considering that we will be able to vote in the upcoming elections, we hoped to gain an idea of what it is like to be a part of American politics. For us, participating in the rally was an opportunity to see people push for a change in our society. Although listening to speeches was fascinating, that was not necessarily why we chose to attend the rally. The more important thing was the environment of being around thousands of people who share similar political beliefs. It was really exciting to be standing around with these people and listening to what they think needs to be done for our country, as well as getting to cheer and chant along with all of them. Being in this atmosphere really helped emphasize Bernie’s message: that his journey, and any other candidate’s journey, to become president of the United States is not about a single candidate, but is about the many passionate and persevering people around the country coming together to try to achieve a better country for their generation and for many generations to come.