Day 1 - Reno, Nevada

We left Mariposa at 8:30 this morning and summited Donner Summit at 4 pm. Here I am with Donner Lake behind me. I was very conscious of the Donner Party story as we arrived at the U of Nevada-Reno campus at 5:30, just before their football game with U of Buffalo. Thousands of Nevada fans heading for the stadium and me trying to engage them with something as superficial as ending student debt and the possible end of the planet in our lifetime. As I handed out my leaflets to distracted football fans, I thought, these folks are just as oblivious to the great danger in front of them as was the Donner Party. Only the Donner Party didn’t have someone handing out leaflets saying there was a way to avoid the catastrophe, so I kept going. A security guard told me to stop but I asserted my constitutional right to free speech and that seemed to calm him. At least I didn’t see him again. 

Although it was not surprising to run into a few Trump supporters in Nevada, it was relatively simple to engage small groups of millennials and alert them to the option Jill presents. And, as always, the ones with student debt were excited to hear there was someone out there trying to rescue them. The biggest, warmest reactions I get are when I apologize to a group of young people for us previous generations having screwed up their lives and futures. They are really hurting but are clearly heartened when they learn of Jill’s vision and leadership.