Kerry Stumps in my Hometown

The day after his televised speech to the nation at the DNC, Sen. John Kerry made a stop in my small, blue-collar hometown of Scranton, PA. He was there to reach out to voters and discuss the issues surrounding the impending election. The rally included supporters of both Kerry and George Bush, anti-war activists, pro-life activists, and some who are still undecided about the fall election. There were also a large number of young people there, hoping to hear from the presidential hopeful in person.

During the mining days, a time when many found work in Northeast Pennsylvania, Scranton was a boomtown. Now it’s a small town filled with leftover factories, railroads, and underground mines. Despite city plans to reinvigorate downtown Scranton, many young people flee this “boring” city to attend college or finding work elsewhere. Still, Scranton matters to Kerry because Pennsylvania is a swing state, meaning that it could go red or blue this election year.

To begin the day, an estimated 17,000 people stood in line under a blistering, late July sun in the soaring humidity. Senators Edwards, and Kerry were traveling with their families and with actor, Ben Affleck, whose presence added to the excitement. Those who had various color-coded tickets for the event were slowly ushered through the lines. Security was tight, with the area surrounding the public courthouse of Scranton was blocked off and barricaded. Even those who were lucky enough to have colored tickets couldn’t enter the area in front of the stage until frisked by cops. Like most people, I had a white ticket, which only allowed me to stand behind a metal barricade, packed against thousands of others, far from the stage.

“They make us feel like cattle,” one middle-aged woman behind me said, referring to the security. Meanwhile, the blazing temperature caused some in the crowd to faint, and medics were busy hauling people away in ambulances. Of course, volunteers from the Scranton Democrats chapter tried to get cold water to those in the crowd, but the audience seemed larger than any organizer could have predicted.

The presidential hopeful was late arriving from Boston, but there was no shortage of local politicians to compete for attention and energize the crowd.

“If I had to get into a fox hole, it’s John Kerry I’d want to be in that fox hole with,” claimed Pennsylvania Rep. Paul Kanjorski, bringing light to Kerry’s war record as many others have been done this election season. The mayor of Scranton, also a Democrat, rallied the crowd. “We’re going to be loud and proud!” Mayor Doherty demanded. “We’re John Kerry territory from now on,” he continued, as the crowd roared. Joe Hoefell, who is hoping to defeat current Pennsynvalia senator Arlen Specter in November, also spoke to the crowd, hoping to rally new voters. “Arlen Specter is voting with Bush and Cheney, and I don’t think that’s in the best interests of Northeast Pennsylvania,” he said, launching his attack.

Along with politicians, the anxious crowd members also reminded of the views of a number of different protestors. A group of anti-war protestors lined up on the street to greet Kerry’s bus. One of their signs read, “End the occupation. War is terror.” Another read, “Real pro-life people are anti-war.” Of course, Christians and pro-lifers opposed to Kerry’s pro-choice stance also stormed the crowd. One person sweltered inside a bear suit with a sign that read, “43 million babies will never hug a teddy bear.” An elderly man in the crowd, Charles Densevich, had a red sign that read, in white letters, “Kerry is 100% pro-abortion.” “Abortion is killing. I think it’s murder,” he explained later. Elizabeth Collins, a long-time activist and nurse, debated with Charles. “If a woman becomes pregnant against her will, I want her to have a choice,” she said. The protestors represented the deep polarization in this country, with each side making their presence clear and known.