For a convention that focuses on family, community, and the unity of a nation, the exclusion of Palestinian speakers from this event that is supposed to promote our rights was a grave mistake, showing callous disregard for Palestinians’ perspectives and their right to advocate for themselves.

Day 4: “For Our Future”

On the last day of the convention, seats became incredibly hard to find for a venue that was supposed to have no issues with seating arrangements. Despite this being the grand finale, it was a day that ultimately fell flat.

While I am interested in politics, this particular day felt more focused on reminding us how bad Trump is and how the better alternative is Harris, complete with numerous propaganda videos creating a narrative of how Trump cannot become president. It was time that I felt could have been better used to discuss more issues such as immigration, since this is the focus that Trump has taken in his recent rallies.

The refugee crisis in the U.S. was noticeably absent from the convention. Climate change was finally addressed, although briefly. The speakers seemed to restate the same messages mentioned in the past three days. The videos showcasing Maya Harris, the presidential candidate’s sister, cemented this impression, as similar videos were played on the three previous days, garnering a muted reaction from the audience. The energy felt half-hearted on this last day, and I found myself bored for once during the convention. It wasn’t until Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts arrived that the spirits in the crowd on the floor where I was appeared to rise.

Preceding a standing ovation that nearly brought the senator to tears, Warren delivered an emotive speech building the case of Harris as a prosecutor who would follow the law and help people over Trump as a convicted felon and a selfish man. 

The night took a turn when we got to hear survivors from some of the past school shootings that have rocked our nation. This was the part of the evening that brought me to tears. The audience heard the testimony of a teacher who ushered her students into classroom closets while whispering a song to them, comforting their fear of bullets striking her classroom. We heard the mother from Uvalde who took her daughter to school only for the girl to be killed, leaving the mother no longer able to hug her daughter. We even heard the student who talked about how he was about to take a test, but the lesson he really learned that day was how to run for his life, and how to survive when bullets threaten to take away the chance of surviving the most important test – being able to live another day.

As the audience heard these gutting testimonies, the urge to bring gun reforms to ensure that our public schools and our students could be safe was the most impactful part of the evening.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan spoke, commenting on how Project 2025 would affect our nation. Actress Kerry Washington also attended with her former co-star from the TV show Scandal, Tony Goldwin. There was a performance from P!nk, who included her daughter in a melancholic rendition of “What about Us.”

Former Illinois Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger relayed an impactful message to Republicans, reminding them that the Democrats are also willing to fiercely defend American values by following the law, since the Republican party’s cowing to Trump – a convicted felon who fanned the flames of insurrection – means it had lost its integrity and is now “corrupted.” He urged Republican voters to choose Kamala Harris, who would uphold the law, unlike Trump.

At the night’s end, Kamala Harris spoke to the nation, delivering a speech that initially focused on her upbringing and the values her mother taught her – namely, her duty to do something about the injustices she saw. While her speech highlighted her as a charismatic, confident leader who will get right down to business as soon as she becomes president, many voters have had mixed reactions to her speech. Some expressed her awkward phrasing when mentioning a ceasefire in Gaza. She mentioned that the US would always support Israel’s right to defend themselves and that the hostages “needed to be able to come back to American soil” while not explicitly mentioning the suffering of Palestinians until the very end. Some called her speech “brief thoughts” on Gaza, an afterthought, or a poorly planned strategy to cover up the failure of the DNC to bring in Palestinian speakers to share their story at the convention.

With less than 72 days left, both candidates will race against the clock to convince voters that they are the best choice for the country. This was a very memorable convention that embodies the quick turn the Democratic party has taken since Biden stepped down and the palpable optimism that carries them into the last leg of the election.

While this convention may not have focused much on younger voters, we are the most important ones in this election, where a lot is at stake. Voting, at this point, is essential to hope for a future where many of the wrongs in the US can be changed, at a local level as well as federally. While all the changes we wish for will not be immediate, we need to keep in mind that we, as young voters, can push our nation forward.

For information on how to register to vote and where to head to on November 5th to cast your vote, please visit: https://www.usa.gov/voting-and-elections