NEWBERRY — Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon spoke to Newberry County and other Democrats on behalf of the Bernie Sanders campaign this past Sunday, February 16.
Sarandon, who won an Oscar for her role in “Dead Man Walking” and is probably best known for “Thelma and Louise,” is a strong Sanders supporter, and spoke ardently about the need for major and immediate action on a number of issues. An estimated audience of over 50 people gathered into the Genesis Hub coffee shop, in downtown Newberry. Some listeners traveled from as far as Orangeburg for the event.
Issues covered included climate change, military spending, and student loan debt.
“We have an impending climate crisis,” Sarandon said. “Some people have said ‘incremental change.’ But we don’t have time for incremental change, that climate crisis is happening now. You can’t make needed changes if fossil fuel companies are directing your policies.”
Sarandon was equally critical of military spending.
“We’ve got to stop bloated spending on endless wars,” she said. “We’ve got to stop our efforts at regime change. People in those countries don’t want it, and we can’t force it on them.”
With the floor opened for questions, Sarandon was asked about her opinions on student loan debt.
“I have two friends, married to each other, and both are doctors. They’re loaded with student debt, and they’ll be years in paying it off. We can’t keep doing this to people who want to make a contribution to society, we can’t keep penalizing them,” she said.
Sarandon’s visit to Newberry was part of a tour organized by the Sanders 2020 Campaign that included stops in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., Greenville S.C., and several other cities. Participating elsewhere in the tour were actor Danny Glover and several other notable personalities.
Newberry County Democrats have been working with the Sanders and other campaigns to bring presidential candidates and surrogates to Newberry.