Democratic National Convention (night 3)

by Keaton Ibendahl

If there was any major takeaway from night 3 of the Democratic National Convention, it’s the one that Joe Biden has been desperately trying to broadcast: Biden will be a president for the average middle and working class person. This and the power of the democracy was the theme of the night— nearly every speaker illustrated how a person in power can use their voice to make real change for the good of others instead of for their own personal gain.

The night opened with a call to end gun violence and enact gun control— as teens growing up in the wake of Columbine, none of us are strangers to the ramifications this has brought to our everyday lives. Perhaps the intruder drills and precautions we take individually on a daily basis to keep ourselves safe have to do with why our generation advocates so strongly for gun control and we get constant pushback from lawmakers who haven’t gone through these routines. This section of the night made it incredibly clear: no child in America should have to protect themselves because of the knowledge that their government refuses to do it for them.

The environment took the spotlight next— Biden’s climate plan includes an emissions-free power sector by 2035, upgrading four million buildings during his first term, and devoting 40% of new clean energy funding to low-income communities. Following this, immigration became the topic on the table. Biden has had a tricky past with this issue, but this segment portrayed him as very pro-immigration. We heard from a mother who came to America as undocumented and whose daughter is disabled, but they have lost their healthcare and are living in fear of deportation. We also heard from a military family in which the father, a former marine, was deported because of his immigration status. Not only does this play to progressives who can be pro-immigration under any circumstance, but it also plays to more moderate viewers, especially those that believe in the value in serving ones’ country and getting something in return.

The big speakers of the night were Hillary Clinton, Speaker Pelosi, Senator Warren, President Obama, and Kamala Harris; all three echoed Clinton’s statement at the start of “I wish Donald Trump knew how to be a president, because America needs a president right now.” Obama echoed this, saying that Trump has yet to develop any sort of reverence for the office of President— that he only uses the position to further enable his ego. In order to make a sort of promise for what the future might look like, Harris took the stage under a reassuring statement: “Kamala Harris for the people.” That is what the 2020 election needs to remember, and it was exactly the correct message to leave the night on. The current administration is power-hungry and focused only on itself and its minority of supporters. If needed, it would devalue the true power of democracy in the eyes of the public. In fact, Trump has already done so with his attack on mail-in voting, causing people to believe that their vote really doesn’t matter(when it does!). Night 3 at the DNC was anything but that. It showcased the power of the people and what work needs to be done to make sure it is given as much value and attention as possible— and Biden and Harris are the team to do just that.