Amber Waves That Pave Our Way

The 2008 Democratic convention is over, with everyone spreading in the four directions for their respective homes. As we wend our way across the amber waves of Kansas this Sunday morning, I am beset with a wide spectrum of thoughts about the convention and its aftermath.

Most of all, the people: so many, wonderfully diverse people, hard working Americans, devoted to living their lives, surviving as best they can, striving to become the best people they can in whatever capacity their paths lead them. From Nancy and Loretta, who helped man my laptop and took phone calls, Dana and Penny who ran tirelessly around Denver, shopping and shuttling PUMAS, William From Denver, who offered--no, INSISTED--on doing the final clean up at PUMA HQ, Red and his crew who made coffee and did everything they could to make us comfortable and meet our needs, Dean, readying for his fourth tour in Iraq, who honored us with his company and the sharing of his ideas, and made us feel safe along with Igor, Patrick, our loving project manager and IT saint, Brad, Steve and Lori, who documented our journey,
Gary and Mawm in the beautiful PUMA bus, Shamour with the red truck, signs and dedication to be out there and be seen, Sandra, our caucus authority and HQ organizer, Barry, who trucked supplies all the way up from Louisiana, and, of course, all the WONDERFUL, dedicated PUMAS who marched and gave interviews, and last but certainly not least, Robin and BJ who marched tirelessly, all through Denver, including Invesco field during Obama's coronation speech, bravely wearing their NOBAMA and PUMA gear.

And now, McCain the Maverick, in chosing Sara Palin, governer of Alaska, as his running mate, has demonstrated his stance on the equality of women. Environmentalist, administrator, mother of an American soldier deployed to Iraq, she has experience in so many of the areas in which we all hold a stake. A letter from a Democratic delegate http://mail.google.com/mail/#inbox/11c1a2e0f9e47866
put it so very well in stating that we can and must take hope in the fact that John McCain has had the courage and conviction to choose as his VP a woman with demonstrable experience in so many of the areas that are so important to Americans and, indeed, the world. With this act, he has demonstrated that he supports fully one of the most important tenets of the Democratic Party: Equality for everyone, everywhere. Yes, global warming, war, finance and election reform are important, but they lose significance in the face of inequality. How ironic that the Republican candidate, long accused of sexism, has trumped the Democratic in the bid for leading the way for equal rights.