The new millennium will be a time for change, but in order to change for the better, the citizens of America must unite as a nation, said Vice President Al Gore Monday afternoon.

Gore asked a rally of about 350 supporters in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union to “stand with me” in his campaign for the presidency in 2000. He emphasized his visions for the United States and briefly explained how he felt the country could realize those visions.

“Everybody here feels in his or her bones we are privileged to be alive in the start of a new era,” he said. “It’s also a time when we have to make good, clear, wise choices. We make those decisions at the ballot box.”

Gore said Americans will have to decide what kind of people they are in the year 2000 and what kind of era it will be. In order to do that, he said we need to learn from the past.

“We have come a long way, but we haven’t come nearly far enough,” he said.

Gore said he will strive to continue programs that help the elderly.

“I plan to fight to preserve Social Security and Medicare and make sure they’re sound and good — we owe that to all our families,” he said.

Education is another area Gore said he will improve in the next century if elected president.

“Stand with me, and we will bring truly revolutionary change to our school system,” he said.

In order to make such changes, Gore said the economy must remain strong and build on what President Bill Clinton has been doing.

Gore also said more Americans must get involved in the democratic process.

“Many people have been opting out of democracy,” he said.

The next century will be full of opportunity, Gore said, and problems such as health care and reducing the crime rate should be among the most important to conquer.

“We have a chance in this new age to create the brightest and best time in the history of the United States of America,” he said.

“We have got to come together as one nation if we are going to be able to seize these opportunities,” he said.

Congressman Leonard Boswell and his wife Dody introduced Gore and expressed their strong support for his campaign.

“We’re going to persevere until we get Mr. Vice President elected,” Dodi Boswell said.

Boswell said Gore is the candidate of choice for Iowa.

“I firmly without reservation throw our support behind Al Gore, and we’ll work our level best with Iowans to make him the next president of the United States,” he said.

Boswell said he likes what Clinton and Gore have done as a team and wants issues such as education and Social Security to continue to be top priorities.

“I think I speak for a lot of Iowans when I say, ‘We like him; we’ll take him,'” Boswell said. “It’s a proven fact that we’ve got the most experienced person prepared to go into our White House. Why would we pass up that opportunity?”

Gore’s visit was sponsored by the Story County Democratic Party.