Kerry's speech and the cradle of freedom

Editor's note: Nate Hinchey, 18, of Jackson is the youngest member of the Missouri delegation at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. This is the last of his daily reports from the convention.

By Nate Hinchey ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian

The party was over. I could tell most readily by the expressions on the faces of the grumpy older gentlemen as they stabbed balloons with their pens.

I'm not sure how the balloons surprised these guys. After all, it's the Democratic National Convention. Wouldn't one see it coming? But despite this gruff massacre, the party did continue as thousands of delegates and guests flocked to bars and pubs to celebrate the nomination, blow off a little steam and discuss Kerry's speech.

I met with my brother, sister and some of their friends. They asked me for my impression on Kerry's delivery and message. I merely smiled and said, "He did good." No need for eloquence or even correct grammar.

I was originally worried, when Kerry led the pack of candidates seeking the nomination, that this election would once again come down to a choice between the lesser of two "who-cares." However, upon hearing his speech tonight, I am ready to say John Kerry has earned my vote, not by virtue of being slightly more appealing than the next guy, but because he is a good, intelligent and admirable man. His energizing and informative speech, teamed with the touching tales of those closest to him, convinced me that we were nominating the right man. And if convincing us of that was the convention's only purpose, then it succeeded.

But, for me, the lessons learned at the convention neither began nor ended with Kerry.

Plato said that the punishment received for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. My experience in "the cradle of freedom," as this city has so often been called in these past days, has shown me that the chances of an evil man rising to power in our nation are slim. Too many good men, good women, Democrats, Republicans and all those in between took to the streets this week so that their voices would be heard.

All shades of the political spectrum were represented, not just those of pro-Kerry Democrats. From anti-abortion activists to a pastor from Atlanta whom I had the honor to meet, from the Lyndon LaRouche supporters -- whose candidate's only platform issue seems to be that President Bush is actually Satan -- to mothers and fathers choking back tears at memories of soldiers, I have seen the best of men and the evil they seek to defeat. It is not a matter of party lines. From both sides I have felt my spirit fill with the struggle of noble crusaders and my stomach turn and teeth clench at the sight of despicable, deplorable and aimless acts of hateful souls.

Yet from the mix of emotion and experience, I have gained a certain knowledge. The "cradle of freedom" is not Boston; it is not even America. It is the hearts and minds of those willing to do what they must to share their beliefs. It is their right, their responsibility and their cause; and though our opinions and ideals may divide us, freedom unites us all. A reminder of this once every four years hardly seems often enough.