In Finland, we are only 5 million people, and we are spread all over the country, so our cities aren’t so hugely populated. That’s why when politicians are campaigning in Finland, usually there are 100 to 500 people listening to them speak.
That is the reason I was amazed on March 22. Vermont senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders had his rally at the San Diego Convention Center, and people were lining up at 11 a.m. (the doors opened at 5 p.m.). Eventually, 6,000 people were let in, and another 6,000 were left outside. I watched the happy, cheerful and hopeful crowds, and I gasped: “Wow!”
There were children, retired people, doctors, workers and people from different ethnic backgrounds, and they were shouting for Bernie. Crowds were loud, and they want to give all their support. In Finland, the reactions are really mild compared with what I saw and heard on the 22nd. In Finland, people smile, nod their heads, maybe shout a couple of cheers and say, “What a good speech.” I truly think that one of the best things that Sanders is doing is gaining young people’s interests about the presidential election. In Finland, as here, the young people don’t go to vote. They don’t know if their vote has any effect on anything, and that’s why they aren’t interested. But Bernie Sanders really inspires young masses, because he knows young people aren’t stupid. They go to college, get an education; they have debates with each other; they are aware of what should be done to help the country and how it should be done.
What I hope is that in the future there will be candidates and other persons that inspire young people. The more they want to get involved, the more they know about politics and ways to get their message out. They stay active and are concerned when they see something wrong.
Go Bernie!
(Hanna Laukkanen moved from Finland to San Diego for a spring internship at San Diego Community Newspaper Group.)
In this blog I will compare Finnish and American lifestyles and try to find out a lot more about the Californian way of living. Please send me feedback at [email protected].)
