Well, as expected First Lady Michelle Obama and Mayor Castro brought down the house last night with their speeches. First Lady Obama was able to show a contrast between her husband, President, Obama, and his political counter part Governor Romney. Mrs. Obama explained how she and President Obama grew up. Within the stories that she reflected last night she explained how their families worked extremely hard every day to ensure that they would have a better chance at success. One of the most forceful lines of the speech she gave was when she said “ when you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity…you do not slam it shut behind you…you reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.” This line exemplifies the shift in the Democratic Platform in the sense that it seems to be shifting towards building a stronger and bigger middle class. Mayor Castro nailed his speech last night as well when he talked about his life as a grandson of a Hispanic immigrant who worked as a housekeeper just to insure that her child would have a better life. His most touching line last night rang loud when he said “ My grandmother didn’t live to see us begin our lives in public service. But she probably would have thought it extraordinary that just two generations after she arrived in San Antonio, one grandson would be the mayor and the other would be on his way to be a U.S. Congress man.” Another line of his speech that elicited a loud cheer was “My grandmother never owned a house. She cleaned other people’s houses so she could afford to rent her own. But she saw her daughter become the first in her family to graduate from college. And my mother fought hard for civil rights so that instead of a mop, I could hold this microphone.” Mayor Castro’s words showed the true American dream how each generation hopes for a better life for the next and with the door left open for these opportunities to prosper and advance, this American Dream will survive!
~Andrew Cheek~
