Regardless of your party affiliation, how can you not be inspired by this week's Democratic National Convention?
This is the first election I’ve really followed. And despite so much recent cynicism about politics and America, the Democratic National Convention makes me feel a stronger patriotism, a renewed and refreshed attitude that the youth vote really has a place within our democracy. It makes me optimistic, and glad that I’ve decided to become more informed and empowered.
Hackneyed and clichéd as it sounds, the Democratic National Convention makes me proud to be an American. It makes me want to learn more so I can be a responsible citizen, not one who lives under a rock.
Regardless of who I vote for, the convention encourages me to learn all I can and make an informed decision. A pessimist might say that I’m falling for emotionally charged political rhetoric that has nothing to do with concrete plans for solving problems. Well, I’m examining the platform -- but I’m also looking at a bigger picture from a distance.
Ironically, this is a partisan convention, but I took away an inspirational message, one of joint patriotism and national pride -- not one of Republican versus Democrat, rich versus poor, black versus white.
Good people often disagree on controversial issues. But underlying all the debate is a desire to continue serving the country and its citizens, to make America live up to its role as a world leader and role model.
Here are some inspirational quotes, recorded in The New York Times, from Barack Obama, who is on his way to victory in the Illinois Senate race and who spoke Tuesday night:
“There is not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America.”
“We worship an awesome God in the blue [Democrat] states, and we don't
like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the red [Republican] states. We coach Little League in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states.”
“We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the Stars and Stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. In the end, that's what this election is about.”
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