Stronger Together: Tim Kaine Visits!

In Front of the Stage

We had a super exciting Friday afternoon here in Central Pennsylvania. 

Tim Kaine, our future vice president (and maybe president some day!) came here to speak.

He is a FANTASTIC and Compelling Speaker

What an experience. 

What a man.

What a human being.

What a wonderful speaker. 

What a positive message he brought to the crowd today.

What an example to us all.

What a true public servant.

What a genuine nice guy.

I Was Mesmerized!

I know I can be pretty sentimental and cheesy, but after hearing this man speak, I am so humbled to have been in his presence. 

When I heard Tim Kaine was coming to town I really, really wanted to hear him speak. 

It took some work to make that happen--both on my part and that of the workers at campaign headquarters.

The Stage. We Were Seated to the Side

It was a standing room only venue where folks were expected to arrive 2 1/2 hours before the event if they wanted to be sure to get in for the 2:30 speech.

It's still difficult for me to ask for what I need. And now that I am feeling better, I worry that people will think that I am asking for too much or for something I don't really need. Standing in a hot, crowded, loud room for several hours? That was not going to happen.

I reached out to campaign headquarters and our local Women for Hillary group and immediately heard back that they would do everything they could to make it work for me to attend. 

In the back of my mind, I felt sad thinking that had I asked the Trump campaign for extra help, they might not be so enthusiastic to help--not because I want to see Trump, but because I am sickened that we have a candidate who demeans people with disabilities, women, and Jews and pretty much anyone else.

Behind the Stage

It makes me feel anxious and stressed to ask for what I need, to feel like an inconvenience and to add to these campaign workers already stressful workloads.

But Sarah got what needed to be done taken care of. We found a way for them to make sure ADA seating would be available for me, even if I could not arrive 2 1/2 hours before the event (which I could not). Sarah and Eisha (the campaign staffer staying with us) enthusiastically greeted me upon my arrival. They were so happy I could make it.

So was I.

Me and the Mayor!

The ADA seating was combined with special reserved seating for some of the major volunteers and community politicians. I just happened to get lucky enough to meet and sit next to our wonderful mayor! I also met the woman running for Congress. 

Not only were these great people at the event, but Kiernan was there as well as part of the press coverage. :) 

With help from my dad to arrange parking on campus, help from the Hillary staff, and having Mom with me, I was able to attend this event. 

As we entered I got nervous because outside food and drink are not allowed inside--but I need to take medicine and I need to drink something called Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) throughout the day to keep my blood pressure up. 

Again, I asserted myself to the Secret Service regarding my needs, and they allowed me to bring in my ORS. I no longer need to use the wheelchair to go to these events, so sometimes it feels like it's almost more difficult to try to explain that I am still a person with a disability. 

It was hard for me to try to ask Sarah to hold chairs for us or my fatigue would mean I couldn't make it through the event. It was hard to ask for her to jump through so many hoops. It was hard to ask the Secret Service for an exception to the no food and drink rule. 

But it was so worth it.

I also remember that it's important to expand our image of what it means to be a person with a disability. It's about so much more than whether or not a wheelchair can be accommodated.

What made it so worth it to see Tim Kaine?

His speech was the most powerful and uplifting part of the campaign experience to date.

This guy is ready. To. Go.

He reminded me of all of the reasons we are STRONGER TOGETHER.

He reminded me why I believe in the Clinton-Kaine team 100%.

He reminded me why I am such a strong Democrat.

Ricardo Introduces Tim Kaine

Tim Kaine was introduced by this incredible young man currently volunteering for the campaign. I think Ricardo might be our first Hispanic president of the United States! What a well-spoken, passionate young man.

I Stole These Two Pics from Ricardo's FB Page!

While Kaine covered a lot of subjects from education to jobs to the economy, the most powerful and lengthy topics were what it means to 1. have equality, 2. elect a female president, and 3. be a Democrat.

Tim Kaine spoke about equality for several minutes. 

He did not miss a single one of us who deserves equality, including people with disabilities.

I remember, in 2008, when I went to see Hillary Clinton speak that she was the first politician I had heard make people with disabilities a part of the mainstream political platform.

I also remember what it took to get me to that event--a wheelchair, a reclining chair, seating in the press area, special entrance to go in, etc. What a difference!

Equality.

For everyone.

As part of this speech, he reminded us that we are 75th in the world when it comes to having women in our government. He reminded us of what it has taken Hillary Clinton to get to where she is today.

Despite Being to the Side of the Stage, Kaine Did a  Great Job Making Us Feel Like We Were Just As Much a Part of the Crowd as Those in Front

He also spoke to the heart of what it means to be a Democrat. 

Tim Kaine seems cut from the same cloth as my Dad and his family. My dad grew up as a Catholic Democrat, or what he called an 'FDR Democrat'. He grew up being told that "Republicans are for the big people, and Democrats are for the little people." 

My parents have raised me to believe, as Tim Kaine said, that as a society social justice and helping others matters. We are not to sit by while someone is left by the side of the road, in need of help, and everyone passes them by thinking it is 'someone else's responsibility.' 

As Tim Kaine reminded us today, so very many people are on the side of the road in need of help. It is our job as part of the government and our communities to lift them up.

When Donald Trump doesn't pay his taxes and thinks this makes him smart what he's really doing, Kaine reminds us, is stiffing our vets. Stiffing our schools. Stiffing everyone by the side of the road.

Future President Ricardo?

This divisive election cycle has only served to make me more firm and clear in what I believe. 

Sometimes we must lift up our communities first, even if it is at the cost of the individual. This is what being a citizen means to me. This also part of what being a Jew means to me. It is important to weight the needs of the community and sometimes sacrifice the needs of the individual for the good of the community.

Our Mayor (And Secret Service Dude)

Before Kaine spoke, we enjoyed speeches from our mayor, our state representative, our county commissioner and Ricardo.

I didn't quite know what to expect of Tim Kaine as a speaker. He's always described himself as boring and just a nice guy. This guy is not even close to boring when he gives a speech! He definitely comes off as a 'nice guy', someone who genuinely cares about others, who believes strongly in the capabilities of his running mate, who is strong in his faith, who respects others, and who passionately believes in his life's work of making lives better for others.

A Volunteer Snapped This For Us After the Event

During this election season, I've found myself defending my political beliefs more than I have since my Davidson days. When I was student at Davidson, only a handful of students were Democrats. Today, I learned that Tim Kaine spoke at Davidson last Wednesday to a crowd of 800 people. Remember Davidson is only 1700 students!

I'm not willing to lose my friendships over politics or religion. But I do find that my friends who differ from me are helping me to clarify and fine tune what I believe.

I will never waver in my focus on social justice or in my belief that we must support our most vulnerable members of society. I believe that women's rights are human rights, that all minority groups from LGBTQ to people with disabilities deserve equality and the support it requires to achieve that, that women have the right to choice when it comes to the excruciating choice of abortion, that the government should and must play a role in our schools, infrastructure, health care, jobs, etc.

Ready to Go!

I've really enjoyed being able to engage more fully in this presidential election than at any other time in my life, especially one this important. 

I want to thank my parents for instilling within me the values that I hold so dear, for fighting for them in their own ways, for spending their lives as sociologists teaching about inequality and injustice in our society, and for believing that contributing to the greater good matters.

I love being part of this process with my mom. I cannot wait to celebrate electing the first woman president with her. Mom has been working so hard on the campaign--canvassing, cooking meals for staffers, hosting Eisha at our home, participating in a letter writing campaign to undecided voters and writing letters to the editor. 

Dad is very pumped up about Hillary too.

Thanks to the staffers who made this incredible experience possible.

Tim Kaine: you're the real deal and you and Hillary are going to rock this White House gig.

Blessings,

Emily