The DNC finale

I was trying to get down to the only entrance to the floor when the fire marshal called for a “lock-down.” That means you don't move. There was a long line of delegates winding down the hallway who couldn’t get back on to the floor or the convention hall until someone else left. I was stuck.

I reflected on all the people I had met, seen or taken pictures of in the last few days. Martin Luther King III was very gracious. James Taylor asked me “where are you from?” “International Falls, MN,” I replied. “Oh, the cold spot of the nation. I know it well.” I felt like I was walking through the pages of People Magazine. I felt so lucky and fortunate to be able to share in this small piece of the fabric of our history. 

Finally, I was allowed out on the floor just as former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords received the largest ovation of the evening after she led the convention in the Pledge of Allegiance. She is continuing to recover from a gunman’s attack last year in Tucson that killed six people and wounded 12 others. It was very emotional as the crowd in the convention hall chanted “Gabby, Gabby.”  Many people’s eyes glistened with tears as she blew kisses at them.

Pres. John F. Kennedy’s last surviving family member, Caroline, compared Pres. Obama to her father, saying, “Barack Obama is the kind of leader my father wrote about in Profiles in Courage. He doesn't do what’s easy.  He does what's hard.  He does what's right.”

Representative John Lewis, the Civil Rights icon from Georgia, spoke about the voter identification initiatives all over the country. He compared them to the efforts made to keep blacks from voting in the Civil Rights era. He said “I’ve seen this before. I’ve lived this before. Too many people struggled, suffered and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.”

First Lady Michelle Obama introduced Pres. Obama to thunderous applause as the crowd chanted “four more years.” Pres. Obama made a plea for patience as he said, “We are moving forward, America. Our problems can be solved. The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place. You didn't elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear. You elected me to tell you the truth. And the truth is, it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over decades.”

In a nod to the northland, he referred to Marvin Windows when he talked about “The family business in Warroad, Minnesota, that didn't lay off a single one of their four thousand employees when the recession hit.”

The president ended his speech acknowledging the economic suffering Americans face, insisting he would “lead the country on a long, but collective march back to prosperity. I’ve shared the pain of families who’ve lost their homes, and the frustration of workers who’ve lost their jobs. But as I stand here tonight, I have never been more hopeful about America. Not because I think I have all the answers. Not because I’m naive about the magnitude of our challenges. I’m hopeful because of you.”

As the convention hall emptied and people were taking parting photos, picking up discarded posters, flags, and memorabilia, I went back over to where the Minnesota delegation was seated. I Met Ms. Shannon Schroeder, a candidate for state representative from St. Joseph, MN. I asked her for a personal reflection on what the political conventions mean today. Her answer summed it up as well as any of the speakers on stage all week.

“The conventions are so inspiring,” she said. “It shows we truly can move this country forward and continue to provide needs for our seniors, students, children and middle class families.”

 As I walked away from the convention center I thought about all the speeches and rhetoric I’d heard in the last two weeks — from Republicans and Democrats — and I wondered, who’s listening? We all have a stake in the outcome. It’s our duty and privilege to vote!