“Athens for Bernie Sanders” met for the first time last month in support of the presidential candidate.
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has a bit of Athens in him.
Or at least, his political agenda seems to, Tyler Gagai, a 2011 graduate of OU, said.
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“Senator Sanders has introduced legislation in support of the creation and development of worker co-ops, he’s very progressive with his views on social issues, and he’s a staunch defender of the environment,” Gagai said. “What’s more Athens than that?”
A group in support of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (D) emerged in Athens this summer and held its initial meeting June 30.
The group was established in early June by Nate Wallace, a recent Ohio University Ph.D. graduate. Wallace said that after attempting to find a local group in support of the candidate with no success, he decided to start his own.
The first meeting was held at the Athens Public Library and had 14 attendees, including local artists, retirees, students, university employees and workers from local businesses.
“Very few leaders in the public sphere today seem capable of dealing with the real world problems that plague our nation, such as climate change, the increased automatization of work, the ever increasing cost of living and income inequality,” Wallace said in an email. “Under these seemingly dire circumstances, Bernie Sanders serves as our panic button.”
Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, formally announced in May that he would run on the Democratic ticket in the 2016 presidential election.
The group is looking for new members and is free to join. It’s planning to meet once a month for now and potentially twice a month starting in November.
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“We hope to continue to diversify our organization and eventually reach outside of the city limits into areas of Southeast Ohio, which are typically antagonistic toward certain political leanings and bring them into the conversation,” Wallace said.
The group hopes to send representatives to local events such as county fairs and parades. Although the group was initially established online, Wallace said group members want to facilitate more face-to-face interactions among Athens residents.
“Even if Bernie fails to win the presidency, perhaps we can band together locally and pick up the torch after the national elections have faded in order to strengthen and improve our own community,” Wallace said.
Those interested can join the Facebook page entitled “Athens for Bernie Sanders,” which will contain updates on future meeting times and other information. Its next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29th at 7 p.m. at the Athens Community Center.
@taymaple
tm255312@ohio.edu
