"All Aboard the B-Train”:
The Story of a high school junior supporting Bernie Sanders
Are you feeling the "Bern"? Just like many students across the nation, Carson Cole, a junior at Storm Lake High School, is riding on the “B-train” supporting the presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders. His interest in politics was sparked as an eighth grader while learning about different kinds of government, and since then his fervor has only increased. His attentiveness grew while attending a youth caucus this past November where he was approached by a campaign manager of the candidate. From that point on, he has joined the team. He has taken part in phone banks and canvassing different neighborhoods to talk with and educate the community members about the change Bernie can provide.
I am Carson Cole, a junior at Storm Lake High School.
I found out about campainging for Bernie by going to a youth caucus. They are for those who will be 18 by the time the election comes around. Some of my friends who are seniors and who were taking Government told me about it and invited me to go with them. I went, and while I was there I met one of his campaign managers. "Of course I want to do anything I can to help him", I said.
I started getting into politics in eighth grade. I didn’t know a lot, but it drew it from my love of history. The first thing that really sparked me was when I asked my teacher, "What is the difference between a communist government and a monarchy?" They told me to research that on my own. That research made me think. Why do rich people make so much more when they aren’t doing as much, especially when there are poor people who are working hard and getting crappy pay? I looked into welfare and education because of it.
I really got into politics my sophomore and I found out him, Bernie. I like his ideas of redoing the infrastructure. A new new deal, like FDR. I also like his ideas about healthcare and education, free college. He wants to take care of the poor, which is the most important. We need to be helping the disenfranchised.
My campaigning for him began before the primary happened in Iowa. I was doing phone banks. That means I looked at a list of people who are you voting, called them, and asked, "Is there anything I can do to change your minds?" I also went canvassing. I don’t like canvassing, but I always told myself Bernie needs me to do, so I’ll do it.
I am the president of the National Honor Society and I'm running for student body president this coming year. When it comes to real politics, there is a lot to hate about. A lot of it gets personal and off topic, and that's part of the reason I'm not sure about running for a real postion. I might like to be a non-elected official or a political advisor someday. I'm kind of interested in that.
In terms of political issues, there three main topics I'm passionate about:
Education is really important to me, college being as cheap as possible. The most realistic thing is to make it at least affordable. If you can go to college, you should be able to have that opportunity, regardless if you have the money or not.
Health care is also important, but is not the biggest thing for me. Welfare. Something along those lines. We should be setting up more programs for parents/ families and childcare. There should be state childcare programs.
Lastly, being able to finance whoever you want is corruption. You can support your candidate any other way. Being able to put large amounts of money in whoever's pockets is the equivalent to organized crime in my opinion.
