On May 17th I had the honor of getting to attend my very first, and certainly not last, Bernie Sanders rally in Carson, California. The day before, I recieved an e-mail from the campaign notifying me of the rally. With only 24 hours notice, I was a bit shocked and bummed out because I initially had tickets to see the Backstreet Boys and Bret Michaels perform at a taping of ABC’s Summer Concert Series, but I knew seeing Bernie in person could be a once in a lifetime event that I couldn’t pass up, especially when I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen both BSB & Bret so many times that I’ve lost count over the years.
Since most of my friends work weekdays, I assumed I would have to go alone, but I wanted to ask my dad to join me because he was a proud activist in the 1960’s and I wouldn’t be the outspoken and caring person I am towards world issues without his inspiration and guidence. Luckily, although he usually works 6 days a week, he was able to take the day off to join me at the rally, and I’m so glad he did!
The morning of the event, I woke up and began running around the house getting ready. After a surprisingly traffic free drive (In SoCal this is miraculous!), and a half hour of driving around trying to find the lot we were supposed to park in at the StubHub Center, we arrived. We got in line a bit after noon and there were about 75-100 people in front of us. The venue was supposed to fit 8,000-12,000 people so we knew we would be making it in with no problem (whew!)
After lining up for concerts nearly my whole life, I pretty much know the rundown of what to bring, so we set up our chairs and my umbrella (I don’t do sun. #gothproblems), we began our wait. We quickly made friends with the friendly fellow Berners around us, signing petitions for good causes, talking about volunteering, other political events, and phone banking, and eating lunch under the shade trees.
After a few hours of waiting, my dad & I walked around, checked out people’s awesome signs & banners, and even bought some merch to help support. We event got to chat with one of our local Orange County delegates for Bernie, who was very kind and informative and let us sign a huge card to remember the special day.
Afterwards, I went back to the car for a bit to try to win some out of state meet & greet passes to The 1975 by phone, with no such luck :/, so I returned our chairs and other items to our car right before it was time for us to be let in.
Unlike at most concerts and events, this rally was very well explained and well organized. The Bernie supporters even helped me hide my umbrella in the bushes since they weren’t allowed in, and it was still there after the rally! The secret service along with some volunteer Berners ran security which was strict with full metal detectors, but it surprising ran pretty quickly and we all felt safe in the setting, which is important in this day and age. They even were nice enough to allow outside food & drinks so people wouldn’t have to spend extra money buying stuff inside. Even though this was a free, general admission event, no one pushed or ran when doors opened! (Unheard of at a show… suuuper impressed! :)) Shockingly to my pleasant surprise, everyone walked single file to either the field or to open seats. My dad & I opted for close seats because standing from 4pm (we got let in a half hour earlier than expected too!) to 8pm would’ve been brutal, plus the front row was already filled (#frontroworbust!).
As we took our seats, we once again made friends with the fellow Bernie supporters around us. I have to note that this was one of the only events out of hundreds I’ve been to where every single person we encountered was extremely nice, respectful, courteous, and enjoyable to be around! People saved seats, helped someone find their missing phone, kept an eye on each other’s bags, and people even said please, thank you, and excuse me at all times (horray for manners!), heck, we even shared food with our seat neighbors! Bernie supporters tend to get a bad rap from people who want to discredit the movement, but there were no mean or negative vibes anywhere! (Sorry to let down the haters! ;))
After awhile, the long wait came to an end with a musical opening acting singing fun songs including one about what Democratic Socialism *really* means. Next up were guest speakers Kendrick Sampson from How To Get Away With Murder and legendary actor Danny Glover who both gave impassioned speaches about the importance of what brought us all together that night, making the world a better place and focusing on the issues at hand in our country, as well as their personal journey becoming Bernie endorsers.
Along with other guest speakers, Frances Fisher from Titanic got up and moved the crowd to tears with her story of when Bernie first decided to run for President and how everyone in the room silently stood with their eyes closed and their hand up to state they would support his presidential run, a moment that would grow to heights no one, including Bernie, could have ever expected!
Finally, the moment we had all been waiting for, Bernie took the stage to thunderous applause, tears of inspiration and joy, and cheers upon cheers from the enthusiastic crowd! With a big, bright smile on his face, Bernie address the crowd for about an hour on many important topics. Now, don’t ever let anyone tell you that Mr. Sanders is a “one topic candidate,” oh no, he addresses it all! Women’s rights, the dangers of the 1% owning as much as the 90% in wealth, climate change/fracking, Wallstreet, corrupt politicians and campaign finance systems, police brutality, child poverty, immigration reform and ending deportations, foreign policy, peace, helping veterans, free college, Medicare for all, equality for all races, religions, and orientations, worker’s rights to a liveable wage, and more.
During his speech, Bernie’s beautiful, smart, and dedicated wife Jane Sanders came up and whispered into Bernie’s ear that he had won Oregon with a majority vote that night and that he had practically tied in Kentucky! When the crowd discovered the good news, we all erupted in hugs, peace signs, and jumps for joy! Every win along the way means so much to all of us because it’s one step closer to the political revolution we dream of with Bernie as our fearless leader.
After more moving words from the man of the hour, the night came to an end, but not without us knowing how important it is to never give up on this movement no matter the odds, corruption, and system stacked against us, and to do all we can to keep it going, because as Bernie says, “When millions of people come together, stand up, and fight back, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish!” 🙂
After the rally, Bernie stayed to shake hands, sign autographs, and take selfies with those close to the stage. Since we were further back, we said goodbye to our new friends, sent Bernie some extra good vibes from our seats, and headed to our car to drive home. We even saw “Berniecrat” Steve Stokes who is running for Senator in the parking lot! As we, along with the rest of the crowd, patiently waited to leave the lot, my dad & I, arm in arm like comrads, talked about the historic night. We want the world to know that ALL people were there for Bernie at the rally. We literally saw nearly every race and ethnicity, men & women, short & tall, young & old, different religions, styles, abilities, incomes, & locations all being represented. Even pets came along! There were thousands of signs, shirts, and more promoting determination and hope for our country and this entire world to improve. I can’t help but imagine you won’t see the same or have the exact same pure vibe at Trump or Clinton rallies. (Yeah, right!) There weren’t even any protestors objecting to the message, it was all unity! I mean, what would they even be protesting, peace & love?! LOL.
Personally, one of my favorite moments of the night was when everyone began chanting “Bernie or Bust!” in unison as TV stations from across the globe aired it live. (Pretty shocked CNN and the rest kept rolling! Ha!)
* Video clip of the #BernieOrBust chant: https://www.instagram.com/p/BFixmBFHArQ/
For me, the “lesser of two evils” is still evil. That way of thinking is a myth used to keep us in the dark. I have been a registered Democrat since I could start voting nearly 10 years ago, after this election I’m hoping this makes way for a new, more fair, honest party I can change too, while still being mostly Liberal at heart and mind. I’ve voted as much as I could over the years, but felt completely let down and left without a voice by other candidates, so I initially wasn’t planning on voting this time, but Bernie Sanders has reinvigorated my inner fire to fight for what’s right no matter what or who stands in the way. No matter how the media, haters, or the system tries to discredit and put down this movement, we “Feel The Bern” and we won’t stop. We’re taking this all the way to the White House, because this isn’t about me, or even just Bernie, this is about all of us, and we’re going to make this country fair, positive, and better for EVERYONE… Can I get an Amen? 😉
* Bernie Sanders: “We’re in it til the last vote!” https://www.instagram.com/p/BFiUSwimwG4/
– To join the movement, support with time or donations, or to find out where Bernie will be next, visit: http://www.berniesanders.com
FREE California rallies this week (RSVP on Bernie’s site:)
– Sunday, May 22, Irvine Meadows, Irvine California
– Monday, Santa Monica High School football field, Santa Monica, California
– Tuesday, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim California
Til we blog again! 😉
– April Dalaman ♡ of The Fourth Kind
The Fourth Kind 