We the People...

I am a junky, a political junkie. Just cannot help it. It is part of me and has been most of my life.

It all started in early motherhood. We were in the midst of the VietNam war and I was afraid that this world was an unsafe one for my newborn daughter.

I marched against the war with Barbara on my back.

I marched for women’s rights, for equal rights, for gun control and, recently, in the Women's March last January.

I worked in the press offices of both Mario Cuomo for Governor and Gary Hart for President.

I worked in television news and as an on-site producer at several conventions.

I love the rough and tumble of conventions. The politics, the maneuvering, the spin, the message. It is all about America. It is history happening before our eyes. It decides and debates the course of the future.

I took a virtual sabbatical last week. I cancelled my evening plans, dropped out and watched the Democrats for all four nights. Gavel to gavel. And what a ride it was!

I love being reminded of the inspiration of America. We the people in order to form a more perfect union… The ideals the founders laid out in the Constitution. Our aspirations and the belief that we are all created equal. The dignity of each living soul. A call for the soul of America. Our liberty. It brings tears to my eyes to be reminded of who we strive to be.

I love democracy and the struggle to fulfill our aspirations. To hear examples of past greatness. To hear the stories of the heroes who have led us and, in some cases, given their lives for us to grow and change. Our definition as an immigrant nation. The reaffirmation of our right to demonstrate and express our opinions in the street.

And out of this inspiration, what is the candidate's vision for the country? What suggested and specific programs does the party put forward to accomplish the ideals of America?

Up first, of course, the major issues of our time. The runaway pandemic, the shattered economy, our racial reckoning and the existential issue of climate change.

There are many others, redefined every four years. Equal rights, how we heal the black and indigenous experience. Black lives matter. Poverty and the right of women to own their bodies. Immigration, how we manage its many aspects. Health care, how we make it affordable for everyone. The right to a good education and affordable housing. A living wage for all. The solution to gun violence and voting rights.

And this year, eloquent speeches from both the President and Michelle Obama. A call for personal responsibility. Once again they both urged each of us to organize, to work for change, to vote. A recurring theme from our ex-President, delivered now with an added urgency.

What a wonderful surprise to experience a virtual convention. Hurray for its technical success with a few minor glitches, refined over the days.

I did not miss the screaming convention crowds, the balloons. Two hours flew by as we witnessed alternating spots of personal stories, the democrats united, disaffected Republicans and, at the end of each night, the keynote speech. My favorites were the roll call, highlighting diverse, beautiful America, Braydon Harrington, a brave young man with a stutter, our final glance of the candidates, the fireworks and blinking car lights in the parking lot outside the convention hall.

I am sure you have guessed by now that I am a registered Democrat. One who wants a united country and a president who will bring us all together. It seems to me a universal, not partisan, goal.

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. -MLK

One can only work for change, organize, vote and hope.