by Julia Pierrepont III
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- With a crowd of more than 700 supporters waving campaign signs, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden stepped on the stage at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College on Thursday, as part of his campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
He opened his speech by addressing a deadly shooting which took place at a Californian high school on Thursday and led to the deaths of two teenagers and the teen suspect.
"What kind of world is this?" Biden asked and vowed to take on the gun lobby if elected president, in an attempt to win anti-gun voters.
He also warned that the income gap and opportunity gap stemming from education inequality are dividing the country, saying the middle class is getting crushed and too many are jobless.
"My dad would say, 'Joe, remember, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck, it's about your dignity, it's about your honor, it's about your place in the community,'" Biden said.
Dean Showers, a retired steel worker from Pennsylvania, told Xinhua, "I'm interested in hearing what Biden plans to do to help domestic manufacturing to stay viable in the U.S."
In his speech, Biden also said he plans to increase funding for poor school districts and make community college tuition free.
Eliminating some tax breaks enjoyed by the wealthy would give the federal government enough funds to allow students to attend community colleges for free, according to Biden.
"Biden comes from a blue collar family and I come from a blue collar family," said Toni, a shopworker who didn't give a full name. "He knows how to relate to a family that has to struggle to put their kids through college."
Biden also cautioned that the current administration's ignorance of climate change would carry a heavy cost.
He referred to climate change as "the single most consequential issue facing the American people" and promised he would change the way to deal with the climate issue without losing jobs in the process.
Isaac, a high school student who will be eligible to vote for the first time in 2020 and didn't give his full name either, told Xinhua that he thinks Biden "has a good plan on climate change, he's experienced and people feel comfortable with him."
In Biden's view, what's happening in the United States is dangerous. "It's the soul of America that's at stake right now and we have to save it," Biden told Xinhua after his speech.
