By Don C. Reed
Kamala Harris spoke on the Ellipse, in front of the White House, October 29, 2024.
An estimated 75,000 women and men hung on the words of the Vice President of the United States. It was her Presidential vision of the future of our country, and how we can achieve it. I do not remember the words very much, but the emotions and memories they aroused were strong.
I remembered myself when young, starting off in a brand new marriage, not much money, but a whole a lot of hope.
And I had one big advantage America gave me — the G.I. Bill. Those government assistance checks helped a lot, and it was good to hear Kamala proposing something similar. It helped people before, and could again — if we had the right President in office.
But now it seemed the two parties hated each other so much, it was almost impossible to work together.
And then, oddly, I remembered meeting Richard Nixon, when I was a boy. He was vice President then, visiting Hayward, California, to give a speech. We were behind the scenes, and Nixon was standing on the back of a flatbed truck, being driven to the platform and the microphone. A friend and I climbed up on the back of the truck — uninvited — we were just kids, wanting to get close to him, see what he was like. Two big guys in gray suits came rushing over, but Nixon said “No, it’s all right,” and autographed a business card for us, one each.
Then he nodded at the two big guys, and they assisted us off the truck. My escort looped his arms around my chest and jumped — we landed, undamaged. He looked at me, nodded, and ran back to his job.
Later on I became a Democrat, of course, but I never forgot meeting Nixon that day, how he had been kind to a couple of kids, when there was no need to be.
I want some of that back, that feeling that people in both parties can still respect, even like each other a little. Remember when Tip O’Neill, Democrat, and Ronald Reagan, Republican, would have a drink together at the end of the day?
I do not think Trump wants that. All I hear from him is that he wants victory — and revenge, lots of revenge.
And so we are left to battle it out, these last few days.
We are left with one question: Is there anything else we can do — -anything at all — to help vice President Harris achieve a clear and convincing victory, so that she may become President, and not Donald Trump?
I have no connection to Kamala’s campaign, but I support it, and know that we must win.
Whatever is done must be done now; if you can volunteer an hour, now is the time.
If you can donate a dollar, do it now, or you will forget; that’s how people are. I am proud to be a “small dollar donor” and I hope you are the same — hang on for one second, please? — okay, I am back, I just donated another $25 — can you do the same?
The other side has bigger donors, including Elon Musk, richest man in the world — who can give away a million a day, barely noticing — we have only us.
Yet that may be enough, if we keep working hard.
So do what you can — which is a lot — and let’s shake hands at the finish line!
Bye for now,
Don C. Reed