This weekend, we find ourselves in the beautiful state of Utah, with the Tulsi campaign focusing on Salt Lake City and Provo.

Tulsi’s morning session was at Utah Valley University, and despite it being an early(ish) morning session it was a full house of Political-Science students. Tulsi discussed some of the common themes she touches on with young people — the need for social responsibility, compromise, and reaching across the aisles, and the commonality of this need in every walk of life whether when at school or in the corridors of power.

Tulsi also touched upon something that feels very relevant right now, and an issue that is at the forefront of lots of debates in school: cancel culture. Cancel culture is used sometimes to punish people for perceived transgressions: using racially inappropriate language or bad behavior for example. But cancel culture has also mutated into something that sometimes feels unnecessarily cruel, raining down harsh judgement and often vengeance on individuals who perhaps said something stupid or insensitive, but meant no real harm. Cancel culture can make people afraid to speak freely and make places — universities and colleges, for example — excessively censorious, and Tulsi reminded the students to use cancel culture carefully and not as a weapon that blunts freedom of speech and thought.

The questions asked by the students were as ever thoughtful and interesting — though notably all asked by male students — so do speak up if you have a question, ladies! The questions heavily centered on security and foreign policy, with the first student asking if America was safer after the death General Soleimani (Tulsi believes it isn’t) and the last question on whether Tulsi believes the war on drugs has particularly discriminated against people of color (Tulsi believes it has.)

University of Utah

The tour then travelled to the University of Utah, to a packed event with an overflow room at the Hinckley Institute.

The opening focus of this talk was on the censorious and prohibitive nature of the DNC and the mainstream media. People are clearly growing increasingly concerned at the extent both the candidates and the presentation of the candidates are being manipulated, with less popular candidates (hello, Bloomberg) being lavished with unearned promotion, and candidates like Tulsi with real grassroots support being practically erased. Tulsi offered opening fighting talk to her audience emphasizing how this wasn’t working and imploring people to never question or underestimate their own voice and power.

There was as ever a wonderful diversity of people in the room with a range of questions touching on Tulsi’s plan for the justice department, her decision to vote ‘present’ on the impeachment vote and how she plans to beat Donald Trump? Tulsi’s wise and centered responses went down really well, and served as a reminder that there is an alternative to politics that the kind of oppositional politics everyone is feeling the strain of.

If you like to think for yourself and refuse to be told who you should and shouldn’t vote for, Tulsi Gabbard is in town all weekend, so do come out and show your support!

Chloe Combi, Writer @StandwithTulsi