On Friday, March 31, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders spoke in a rally at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston.
The theatre doors opened at about five in the evening although the event did not formally start until seven. Throughout the passing hours, a few different bands performed original songs as well as commonly known songs, such as This Land is Your Land, albeit with slight lyric changes from the original, such as “this land was made for you and me” being changed to “this land was made for refugees,” to address the current state of affairs in the United States, After a few performances and sing alongs, the rally began.
A number of activist groups spoke at the opening about their cause and the importance of a united Democratic party, and how when everyone stands up for one cause, change happens. Among these groups were Jobs Not Jails and Neighbor to Neighbor, all of which are advocate groups for voices that are not being heard. Many volunteers passed out flyers inviting attendees to upcoming marches and events around the state.
After these groups spoke, Senator Warren was introduced. As she walked out, the crowd cheered and clapped until she began to speak. She told the story of how her and Senator Sanders met and became allies at a dinner in Washington D.C. a while back; Warren and Sanders began “going back and forth [in conversation] like there was no one else in the room.”
She then began talking about the Republicans’ loss via the rejection of their long promised health care plan, which was rejected even by their own party and accredited this loss largely to the Democratic party and all the activists who acted against this plan that provided minimal care for anyone who needed it.
She also discussed the Women’s March back in January and how she saw a little girl holding a sign covered in horses and rainbows that read “I fight like a girl”; Warren applauded this little girl and went on to say that she too fights like a girl, which got a massive uproar from the audience. Warren mentioned a number of things going on in our government at the moment, from healthcare to public schools to student debt. She introduced Senator Sanders at about eight o’clock.
As Senator Sanders walked on to the stage, the crowd cheered, clapped, and chanted his name. He began to talk about Warren and the same issues she had discussed, however he made a few announcements. He stated that he would be proposing two acts, one of which he made a statement about to NowThis on Monday, April 3, 2017, stating that “if we are to succeed in a highly competitive global economy, public colleges and universities must become tuition-free for working families and we must substantially reduce student debt.”
He highlighted on the importance of a government that works for everyone, “working people, people in the middle class, young people, old people, black and white and latino,” not just the rich. He reiterated that “[they were going to] have trade policies that benefit workers and not just the wealthy.” Students should not be struggling to get an education because of financial issues, and there is no reason why public universities should be as expensive as they are, which is why Sanders believes that public institutions should be tuition free.
At a rally like this, it is impossible to not have strong opinions on everything; once inside, you are surrounded by people that are truly passionate about politics and the world and are there because they believe in change. Often times in life, it can feel like nobody’s voice can be heard, but being surrounded by a group of people that are all standing together for one common belief is incredible; one person may not be heard, but a mass of people will move mountains.
This collective support of ideas is one of the things most emphasized by both Senators who claim that movements are the ways of a revolution- fighting will pay off and change will common if people push for it. As said many times by Senator Sanders: “when we stand together, we will always win.
