As we embark into day one of South By Southwest, the hustle and bustle along with all the excitement is well underway. Everyone wants to talk to you and we all want to have those tough conversations. But as we all learned growing up, there are three things we know to never talk about at the dinner table- religion, other people, and politics. Clearly SXSW is not the dinner table nor for the easily offended. This post isn’t meant to be about politics but rather the topics of conversation and issues that bring us together.

As the Independent Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders entered the ballroom at Austin Convention Center, an eruption of applause from about 2500 people ensued. He was among good company but the conversations that followed were focused on unity rather than us versus them. As Bernie has said repeatedly, “we are strongest when we stand together.” Those words come at an important time in history as we all work together to build a better America. Bernie touched on all the issues that tend to be divided by party politics but what I found to be most interesting was how the spirit of unity came forth. The idea of standing together is not only accurate in all the issues that matter to us as Americans but those words are also important to remember as we work together towards a better life for everyone. Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, we all want a better life in modern day America.

Senator Sanders was interviewed by CNN’s Jake Tapper and the conversation was not only lively but at times, funny. Sanders made it a point to call out the shortcomings of the mainstream media and what is getting coverage and what is not, something that we all of think about regardless of political affiliation. Sanders pointed out was how the media diverts attention to stories such as Stormy Daniels rather than focusing on people who are hurting and struggling in this economic climate. As we focus on unity and the issues we all face, what brings us together rather than divides us? Bernie brought to light that not all people who support President Trump are racist bigots but they are hurting people who voted for someone they thought could help their situation. To affect change, we have to talk to the people. Focusing on the bigger issues at stake that the vast majority of the people care about. And the root cause of those issues are very similar for among every American.

Sanders is staying in Texas after today to travel to San Antonio then on to Lubbock. His goal is to encourage voter turnout and help make 2018 a strong election year where people’s voices are heard. As Bernie jokingly said, “they told me Lubbock is one the more progressive areas in Texas.” To which I cheered (I’m originally from Lubbock) and wished him good luck. But that is the point, we are people and everyone needs to be heard regardless of where they are at in the country. While Bernie’s supporters are not overflowing from a town like Lubbock, he is going there to hear the stories of those who are struggling with issues that President Trump promised and is not following through on or maybe issues that have never been brought to light.

So yes, Sanders and Tapper touched on all the topics of conversation and hit the major speaking points you would expect from a Town Hall:

• Bank Deregulation
• Gun Control
• DACA
• Climate Change
• Teachers’ Pay
• Student Loan Debt
• Public Education
• Government Corruption
• Corporate Campaign Finance
• Billionaires Advantage
• The Dying Middle Class
• Yemen Conflict
• South Korea
• President Trump

“When people become involved in the process, (whether that be voting, talking to other people, attending a town hall) you’re damn right it makes a difference.”

While most people will feel differently about how to approach these issues, the underlying fact remains, we are all united. We want a better America. And as Bernie so eloquently stated, “when people become involved in the process, (whether that be voting, talking to other people, attending a town hall) you’re damn right it makes a difference.” Don’t be discouraged, find the middle ground, have the conversations, and remember we are all fighting the same fight. The American people should be united, not divided. With that, thank you Senator Sanders for continuing a conversation of inclusion and helping us understand that we all want the same thing, even if our viewpoints are different.

Check our Bernie’s full presentation here.