Michael Sauers
August 19, 2024
I am a lifelong Democrat. I always vote. I do not always vote for Democrats. I watched the entire DNC from beginning to end.
The DNC was well choreographed. A fully packed schedule with plenty of red, white and blue, music and corporate media buzzing about. Speaker after speaker barked out party goals and aspirations in broad generalities. The overwhelming majority of delegates dutifully applauded, cheered, screamed, waved flags/signs given to them and approved. To a knowledgeable and discerning eye this a double edged sword. While the Democrats were embracing the diversity that is emerging in America, while they were addressing some of the most pressing issues facing the working class, while they were talking a good game towards corporate greed and influence, they were failing miserably regarding corporate welfare, production of WMD, military spending and, especially, the Israeli/Palestinian issue.
It was the elephant in the room and out on the street. Of course the corporate media was ignoring/slanting the coverage. There were dozens of references to an antisemitic strain running through the Democrat Party. I disagree with that. This stems from the gut reaction of college students and others to the events unfolding in the Middle East. While there may be a smattering of antisemitism in the Democrat Party, it is mixed right in there with islamophobia and a half dozen other hatreds/phobias that plague humanity. A large majority of the student/campus demonstrations were not antisemitic or islamophobic. Rather they were student demonstrations against war and how their universities invest money.
Very few of the convention speakers said a word about the suffering of the Palestinian people as a result of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Joe Biden, Keith Ellison, AOC and Bernie Sanders made reference to it. There were dozens of references to our support of Israel but nary a word about the Palestinians. Finally, Harris said the words “Palestinian self-determination” in the same sentence as “permanent cease fire” and “hostage/prisoner release” but no weapons embargo. When supporters of the Palestinian people, who also happened to be convention delegates, asked for a chance to speak they were denied. Denied!
I am very proud of the diversity exhibited at the DNC. The Party has come a long way. It is truly a rainbow party with many voices speaking their truths. These voices were denied for a long time but that has now changed. Unfortunately, the convention goers who wanted to speak their truths regarding the Palestinian people will have to find a different venue.