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December 1990

can't continue to pull out as much profit as
you want because people cannot afford it."

When asked what he could do about
such issues, Sanders was frank with his
audience. "Let's not kid ourselves. I'm
going to be one congressperson out of 435,"
he admitted. "What I think I can do is raise
the issues which 99% of these people don't
have the guts to even talk about. YOU have
to make change; don't look at me. You've
got to change the system. It's called apoliti-
cal revolution."

Sanders then talked about how the
election system is being designed to keep
voters feeling powerless and unable to have
their own wishes and desires heard on the
congressional level. Sanders believes that
everyone needs to be a part of the political
process in order to "create a much more
democratic and representative form of
government."

Sanders was asked why he chose to run
for Congress and not for Governor of the
state, to which he replied that he didn't want
tobe the "Daniel Ortega of Vermont. " After
giving much thought to not running at all,
he decided to try once again for Congress
"because my mind is on the national and
international issues. The real fight is to
change the national priority structure."
Sanders then added, "I made the decision to
run for Congress and I'm very happy with it.
No regrets."

Sanders was asked about his response
to the crisis in the Middle East, which he
acknowledged to be extremely complex
and delicate. Rather than address the politi-
cal issues in the area, he looked to the
situation in this country: "As we see the end
of the Cold War, the real challenge is to
develop new energy systems which are
sustainable and environmentally sound. So
long as the energy industry is owned by
people whose major concern is profits for
themselves, there will be no change."

At another point in the evening, the
question of substance abuse and the war on
drugs was addressed. Sanders said he was
opposed both to the current war on drugs
and to the notion of legalizing drugs, argu-
ing, ‘'1 don't have a magic solution. Given
the economic and political climate in this
country, (legalizing drugs could be) soci-
ety's easy way out, to keep millions of kids
- mostly low-income kids - doped up and
on the periphery of society. The use of
drugs is to some degree the manifestation

Sanders Speaks (from page oe)

of human hopelessness. In the long run,
we're going to have to give people hope."

Sanders confessed that he was not as
knowledgeable as he would like to be on
issues affecting the gay and lesbian com-
munities, and he opened the floor to hear
the specific concems of those present. Is-
sues such as domestic partnerships and
AIDS testing were mentioned, along with
civil rights measures and increased protec-
tion against hate crimes.

Sanders agreed that while many of the
issues affecting the gay and lesbian com-
munities are determined by local legisla-
tion, the national government could do
more to serve as a model for the individual
states. "I'm not familiar with every piece of
legislation," Sanders admitted, "but I think
you will find me on the civil rights side of
most issues."

After a question about proposed cut-
backs in AIDS funding, Sanders spoke
once again about the priorities currently
being set by the national government: "The
point thatl trytomakeisthatno issueis
separate. You say that you are appalled by
the cutbacks for AIDS research, so what?
They're cutting back all over the
place...Don't be appalled by cutbacks to
AIDS research and education, because
they're cutting back on everything else that
is important to human society as well.

"The point is this: all of these issues are
the same issues. Do we take money out of
homelessness to give to AIDS reserach?
We have to understand that what we're
dealing with are insane, absurd national
priorities, and we're not going to play off a
horrible epidemic over here against people
who are sleeping in the streets. This is why
we need a political movement that brings
all people together, that fights to out what
we can agree

 
 

dience worried that while all of the other
problems were important and demanded at-
tention, he didn't "want our single issue to
get lost," to which Sanders replied, "That's
a fair enough concern."

When asked if he would sponsor and]
or endorse Gay Rights legislation in the
Congress, Sanders replied, "I have not read
the bill, but my general inclination is to say
yes. If it is a reasonable bill that says that
human beings are human beings despite
their sexual preferences...you will find me
supporting it.

"I look at the issue of gay rights as a
civil rights issue," Sanders continued.
"You have the right to live your life; I have
the right to live my life. I don't want to
impose my values on you; I don't want you
to impose your values on me."

When he was infonned about the po-
litical incorrectness of using the word
"preference" instead of "orientation,"
Sanders listened attentively before apolo-
gizing. "I have to tell you that I don't come
before you being as knowledgeable as I
should be about some of the issues that you
have raised," he said, "and I'll uy to do
better. I think you will find thatl have a very
strong record on the issues of civil rights
and common decency."

Sanders pointed to his record as Mayor
of Burlington and cited the civil rights
achievements he had made during his of-
fice in that city. While not making any
specific promises regarding his upcoming
term of office in Washington (on gay/les-
bian issues as well as other national issues),
he did maintain his allegiance to issues of
civil rights, stating time and again that
"ultimately, the most important thing that
we can do is give hope to people.

 

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W IA'I'ES

A mem-
ber of the an" 15 Pincecrest Drive Essex Junction, VT 05452 802/878-4399

11