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July 27, 2004

Through an Elector's Eyes - Huddled Masses

Aloha - greetings from the fiftieth state. by Ron Telsch

While flying here I could well image how tightly packed our Virginia delegation is on the convention floor in Boston and, I was reminded also, of how my grandparents must have huddled together on their boat to our shores. In the plane's rows before me African-Americans sat in the same manner of discomfort as I, behind me Asian-Americans, including a U.S. Army Sergeant on R&R from Iraq, a foreign-exchange student from Spain to my left, and a portion of my family to my right. Packed tightly in a metal tube going 400 miles an hour with an in-flight movie showing the story of an American western cowboy racing horses against Arabic speaking riders across Iraq and Syria. At least that's what I thought it was about. The movie had begun long before my wife told me if I switched video channels in the armrest of my seat, I could listen to it in English. It did not seem abnormal to me at all that the movie was in Spanish without subtitles. Such is the America we live in today.

Look at our glorious 6th Congressional District for example: foreign students in colleges and universities up and down I-81; a large Hispanic population in many of our locales; African-Americans proudly developing communities with integrity and identity in our cities and towns; restaurants of almost every international fare; English-as-a-Second-Language offered in our public schools; and, religious centers devoted to all our people's diverse spiritual needs. And at the convention, our fellow Virginians will hear from Illinois State Senator Obama, who counts among his blessings a childhood in Hawaii. Those of you in Boston please give a hug and "mahalo" - thank you - to the Hawaiian delegation for your Elector. They traveled so far to be with you and we need their support.

Every few years our countrymen go to the polls hoping to elect statesmen and stateswomen to positions that will help shape our country and our world. Unfortunately, all too often, we fall short of the goal and elect only politicians. But this week has once again shown our country an excitingly different example of politics at our convention. No one watching could have missed that Presidents Carter and Clinton spoke as statesmen, and this year we need diplomatic solutions to what ails our country.

Before arriving in Honolulu, I read an interview with the President published in the August issue of Reader's Digest. Perhaps you read it too. One section struck me as particularly telling. When asked what the biggest difference was between him and John Kerry, the President responded, "I really don't want to get into that sort of debate. I'll just tell you what my vision is. Look, I want to win. That's what you've got to know."

I'm just one Elector, but I am confident most of us know that all too well. That is why we must elect John Kerry and John Edwards. I want all of us to win this November.

I appreciate your efforts to do that. Mahalo.

Ron Telsch
Elector, 6th District

Posted by marlana at July 27, 2004 09:54 PM

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