Here’s a wrap from last Thursday at the Democratic National Convention, an event-filled day culminating in Sen. Barack Obama’s acceptance speech. Yes, this posting is sadly delayed — there was so much to say I just wasn’t sure where to start.
So let’s start with the journey to Mile High Stadium. And a journey it was, despite the fact I was staying in downtown Denver! An abbreviated timeline:
- 1:30 pm: Left the hotel
- 1:42 pm: Got on the Light Rail toward Mile High Stadium
- 2:07 pm: Got into line far, far, far away from the stadium-as one guy quipped, “a mile long line to get into a mile high stadium”
- 3:58 pm: Went through the security check
- 4:33 pm: Sat down inside Mile High Stadium, near the 50 yard line facing the stage, on the first level
- 4:33 pm onward: Watched history in the making
On the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in Washington, DC, Sen. Obama, the first ever African-American nominated for president by a major political party, stood up and accepted the nomination ‘with profound gratitude and great humility.’
Speaking of gratitude and humility, I was so grateful and humbled not only to be present for this historic moment, but also to sit in the stands alongside many whose sacrifices had made this day possible, and toremember and honor many others like them who could not be there.
Funnily enough, one of the most succinct summaries of this moment’s historical significance came from Gov. Mike Huckabee, on Wednesday at the Republican National Convention: ‘So, I say with sincerity that I have great respect for Senator Obama’s historic achievement to become his party’s nominee — not because of his color, but with indifference to it. Party or politics aside, we celebrate this milestone because it elevates our country.’
And there was indeed a great deal to celebrate that night, not just for Democrats or Americans, but for anyone who cares about making the world a better place. It was worth waiting for — and I’m not just talking about the line to the stadium.
Highlights
