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A Community College of Vermont student spoke about her debt and the setbacks she has experienced while trying to obtain her education. Some of her setbacks included having a heart attack, homelessness and her parents passing away.

The student said, “I want to keep going. I have dreams, I have passion and I have a gift to give to the world. And I believe that my mission is to share. But now I have to decide, do I want to go to school with $50,000 in debt or do (I) want to take care of my health?”

Sanders responded, “Other countries have made the decision that free public education should not just be your high school, but it should be college and graduate school. Well, I agree with that. One of the things that we are fighting for.”

For a large portion of the meeting, many community members expressed their anger about the American healthcare system, and their personal struggles navigating the excessive costs.

A young man brought up needing to spend most of his savings, $5,000, on an MRI out of pocket even with health insurance through his job.

A Community College of Vermont custodian said, “I’m disabled and a lot of my medical bills, like tape and ice packs and overhead payments and stuff like that, doesn’t even go to insurance. That comes out of pocket and I can’t afford that.”

Another disabled community member said, “There have been several employers that have exhausted me until I can’t walk.”

Many people in the room commented on how they do not seek out medical help unless in extreme need because of the high price of care, with or without medical insurance. Sanders noted that 60,000 people a year die because of not going to the doctor. The general consensus in the room was that universal healthcare is essential.

Sanders said: “We are the only major country on earth that primarily ties healthcare to your job.”

He spoke about other countries viewing healthcare as a human right and how it is funded in the same way as public education.

Mental health was another hot topic.

“We have today, a major, major mental health crisis in this country. It impacts everybody,” Sanders said. “We have nowhere, nowhere near the number of mental health practitioners that we need. We don’t have enough counselors, psychologists or psychiatrists.”

The topic of mental health was a gateway into a discussion relating to people’s struggles during the pandemic.

Many of the attendees shared their feelings of isolation and disconnect from other people. Many found themselves relying on social media and computers for connection but overall felt dissatisfied with online interactions instead of face-to-face interactions.

A young woman said, “I was in high school when the pandemic started, so I did a lot of my schooling online and I graduated on time and that made it harder for me to socialize with other people and like, unite with other people because I’ve been alone for so long just doing work and not socializing.”

Many community members noted that there is a decline in community and a noticeable change in the way people interact today, in the years after 2020.

A young man said, “how many noncommercial meeting spaces are there? I want to go meet with my friends. Where am I going to go? A library or a public park? Anywhere else? I’m going to be expected to spend money.”

As the meeting approached its close, Sanders made a point to touch on the topic of drug addiction in the United States. He mentioned that 245 people died of an overdose in Vermont last year and 100,000 people overall in the United States. Attendees shared different thoughts on why they think there is a drug problem in the United States.

A common theme in answers was the feeling that a lot of people have lost hope for their futures, coupled with little community. Drug use is an easy escape to turn to.

A community member also pointed out, “People that work in manual labor are more likely to sustain injuries. They are also more likely to not have health care to cover the cost of pain medication or pain treatment. These folks end up using opioids that are not legal or, you know, pharmaceuticals because of that.”

As the meeting came to an end, Sanders received a warm round of applause and gratitude from the attendees. There was immediately a line for selfies that followed.