Boston During the Democratic National Convention
This past summer, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) came to Boston. The Youth Office was within walking distance of the convention, and had two amazing summer interns who experienced the excitement firsthand. Here are some of their reflections.Note: These are extended versions of the shorter articles appearing in the print version of Synapse!
Ben D'Avanzo's Reflections
Coming into Boston on the first Monday of the Democratic National Convention I wasn't sure what to expect. My parents had warned me several times about terrorists and cops, and the media had hyped up the security. Outside south station was huge armored police vehicle, with a bunch of guys dressed in black body armor hanging around not doing much. The scene was similar throughout the city. Outside park street station were a bunch of guys dressed up in army camouflage, holding weapons but not really doing much.
At the Youth Office we can see the capitol building from a few of the offices. From the windows we could see a sniper (or sharpshooter, whatever they call themselves, they still kill from great distances) walking back and forth. We waved at him, and Betty Jeanne declared him to be our friend, naming him Snipey the Sniper.
The next day (Tuesday) was the Really Really Democratic Bazaar organized by the Bl(A)ck Tea Society, an anti-authoritarian group dedicated to protecting the first amendment during the DNC. The bazaar featured a bunch of stations selling anti-Bush/government books and t-shirt and distributing zines, various demonstrations by different groups, and two stages with different music throughout the day.
After checking out the bazaar we decided to check out the "free speech zone" near the Fleet Center. The "free speech zone" was a cramped zone set up by the city for protesters to demonstrate. After navigating a maze of fences and barricades closely guarded by mean-looking secret service agents, we made it to the hidden-away free speech zone. It was hidden under an abandoned overpass, surrounded by two to three layers of barricades, and barely visible from the Fleet Center.
The inside of the free speech zone was just as depressing as the outside. There were twenty or so people milling around, most of them looking around more than protesting. The barbed wire fences were plastered with posters carrying various slogans like "Kerry, tear down this wall!" and "Is this what democracy looks like?" A man wearing a military outfit walked on to the stage and started talking about the American prison system. He received a scattering of applause, but not much more. The whole zone looked like it could fit a couple hundred or so people packed in, not nearly enough for a big rally.
I was disappointed by the turnout of demonstrators. It was weird to see the ratio of marchers to police. I think that many of them were scared off by all the threats and warnings given by the city. On the other hand I thought the police handled themselves fairly reasonably for the most part. Sure, there were a few situations where protesters and cops clashed, but it went over a lot better than it could have.
Ben D'Avanzo is a youth from Sharon, MA.
Ariel Aaronson-Eves's Reflections
I've been to the Fleet Center three times in my life; once, for the Service of the Living Tradition at GA in 2003, and twice for the Democratic National Convention in 2004. When I decided to take this internship and come to Boston for the summer, I expected the week of the DNC to be an exciting time. But when the DNC finally arrived, life didn't get much more stimulating. Sure, there were a lot more people wandering the streets. But it seemed like the most this event was going to affect me would be through Betty Jeanne's excitement over seeing a sniper on the roof of the Massachusetts State House next door. I didn't bother to watch the first night's coverage on TV. And I never expected to get into the actual DNC at the Fleet Center. I assumed that with all the security, they knew who everyone inside the Fleet Center would be and probably did background checks on each of them.
But, as you already know, I did get into the DNC. Tuesday after work, I headed back to my house with no plans for the rest of the evening. I was lying in bed reading when my luck changed. Samir, a friend of the girl I'm staying with, was in town with the Human Rights Campaign and was staying at our house during the DNC. He had to come upstairs to iron a shirt and we started talking. I mentioned that although it's cool to be able to claim I was in Boston for the DNC, I wished I could be a greater part of it, I wished I could actually attend an event. And lo and behold, he had an extra pass to that night's festivities. The next thing I knew I was scavenging through my closet looking for something nice to wear, and then we were off to the Fleet Center.
As we neared the Fleet Center, Samir and I followed the crowds and found our way inside the barricade. Security was much more low-key than I expected; a pass check, a bag check, and I was inside the Fleet Center itself, the apex of the excitement. There were quite a lot of young people there, which was nice to see. I wouldn't be surprised if a record number of young adults vote in this election. I felt overwhelmed and in awe. There I was, inside the Democratic National Convention of 2004. We found seats for the "show," but I have to admit I don't remember who the first few speakers were or what they said. I was too busy absorbing where I was. This past year I took Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. Government & Politics. We studied the election process, campaigns, and conventions. Taking that class, I had never dreamed that I would soon be sitting in one of those conventions. I felt like I had become a part of history. I can look back and say, "I was there, in person, in the convention hall." This election year is a big year politically, on both the national and personal levels. I studied U.S. Politics, I voted in the New Jersey primary, I plan on voting in November, and I got to attend the DNC.
I am at a loss for words when I try to describe the convention. "Oh my god! It was SOOOO amazing!" does not do justice to the event, and yet that seems to be all that comes out of my mouth. I want to commend whoever's responsible for putting on that show. It's quite a theatrical experience. It's very upbeat and alive. My favorite speaker was Barack Obama, who I had never heard of before the DNC. Obama is running for U.S. Senate from Illinois. He is an engaging speaker, with much charisma and energy. He spoke of hope, and I felt hope. And I wanted to nominate HIM for president. I have to admit that I haven't been paying too much attention to this campaign for the nomination, so I never knew all that much about any of the candidates. But none of them ever made me say to myself, "I want HIM/HER for president." Obama did that. Maybe having him as the keynote speaker last night was part of the Democratic National Committee's attempt to start grooming him for the presidency. I certainly hope so. Obama for President 2008, anyone?
Another great speaker Tuesday night was Ilana Wexler, the twelve-year-old founder of Kids For Kerry. Her innocent, yet mature, twelve year old perspective made her quite a hit. She spoke of "No-Name-Calling Day," when none of the candidates would say anything negative about their opponents. She then went on to say, "Recently the vice president used a really bad word. If I said that word I would be put in a timeout. I think he should be in a long timeout." And the crowd went wild. Ilana's speech just proved her point. That kids CAN make a difference. You go girl!
The last speaker Tuesday was Teresa Heinz Kerry herself. She seems to be trying to the pull the same powerful, active, influential, compassionate wife thing that worked so well for the Clintons. During her speech a woman dressed in pink and holding a large pink banner that said "End the Occupation of Iraq" stood on the floor of the convention center, among the delegates. She screamed comments at Heinz Kerry, but not loud enough for me to hear her words. After awhile the police escorted the woman out of the room, but I could hear the people seated in the area around her cheering something along the lines of "Leave her alone!" While I did not find Teresa's speech to be memorable, one thing that did stand out in my mind from that part of the evening was the support of the protester from the delegates.
Having already been inside the DNC, I spent my lunch break on Thursday exploring the surrounding area. Ben, my fellow intern, and I, headed down to the "Free Speech Zone" aka "The Cage." It was relatively quiet, though there was one man protesting on the raised platform. Although I know some violence broke out and there were some arrests, Boston in 2004 was a far cry from Chicago in 1968. Signs had been put up along the sides of "The Cage." Based on these signs, it seemed that the major protest was not about the Democratic Party and its platform but against gay marriage or against the concept of the Free Speech Zone as a violation of the First Amendment. Many argued against the "Free Speech Zone" not only as unconstitutional, but also on the basis that a protest rally is basically pointless if it doesn't reach its intended audience, the one it is trying to influence. But to me such an event seems to have as much of a point as what political conventions themselves have become, an opportunity to preach to the choir and get them energized. The energy surrounding a good protest is the same type of energy I felt at the DNC. Both energies appeal to human emotion, the desire for community filled by a unified cause, and in doing so, can get you carried away, make you lose your grasp on your principles and basic beliefs. In this sense both can be dangerous to the individual participant. But this doesn't mean avoid them. Participate, if you believe it is the right thing to do, for they are amazing experiences, just be aware of the mob mentality.
One thing I learned from the DNC is that it's not what you know but who you know that matters. And so, I got to attend the DNC again for the closing night, thanks to a press pass I borrowed from a co-worker of my dad. In terms of getting a seat, the press pass was worse than the pass I had had on Tuesday. But that didn't really matter since there weren't any seats left. The halls of the Fleet Center seemed quieter that day, but perhaps that was because everyone was already sitting inside. I decided to wander around in search of some excitement, and finally my press pass came to my advantage, giving me access to the floor level press stations. From this level there were two large portals on to the floor, through which one could see the large screens. I wormed my way as far forward as I could to get the best possible view of the screens, which were much closer to me than they had been Tuesday night. My purple press pass wouldn't let me onto the floor itself, but they weren't even letting press with red floor passes onto the floor. Although I couldn't see the stage itself and by the end of the night my back and feet were in considerable pain due to standing for hours, my press pass got me in position to brush shoulders with Senators, Congresspeople, and major news anchors who passed by. By the end of the night, I was standing in a sea of balloons and confetti.
I don't quite understand the point of these festivities, besides building up energy and excitement for the candidate and the election. It used to be that going into the convention, the presidential and vice presidential candidates weren't confirmed. There's no contest this time. They also create the platform at the convention. But I don't remember seeing that anywhere on the agenda. When did they do that? What role do the delegates really play? It seems to me this really is just one big circus come to town. Even so, it managed to fuel that little spark of patriotism inside me, and for a few hours at least, made me once again proud to be an American. It definitely revived my interest in politics, making me more ready than ever to debate and defend my views. I am very eager and excited about this upcoming election, and even have hope for the future of this nation. The Democrats can throw quite the patriotic party, and I am very grateful I had the opportunity to attend.
Ariel Aaronson-Eves is a bridging youth from Paramus, NJ.
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Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
