RNC 2020 DAY TWO: ICHEOKU'S MEMORABLE WORDS.

1. "Unlike the hostage Democratic Party's convention of last week, it is incredible when you are glued to your television watching the Republican Convention without knowing that two hours just speedily zipped by." - Senator Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania.

2a. "Whether you like it or not, he always tells you what he is thinking because he is an authentic person. 

2b. "It was you who elected him in 2016 and I trust in you to see us through again this time." 

2c. "Just like you are fighting for your families, my husband and all those in his administration are fighting for you.”

2d. If you tell him it can't be done, he works even harder.”  - First Lady Melania Trump.

3. “The president lowered the temperature of North Korea. There is no more nuclear tests, no more long range missiles and no more hot rhetorics." - Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State.

4 “Joe Biden is trapped by his own record and the radical left that has taken over the Democratic Party and now holds him hostage." - David Cameron, AG, Kentucky.

5a. "Make America Great Again is not just a slogan to my dad, it is his driving rod. He truly loves America and wants to make it great again. 

5b. My father built a strong economy before and he will do it again. Forget the rhetorics just check the actions.” - Tiffany Trump, the president's second daughter by Marla Maples.

6. “If the Democrats want to make this election about who will save America and who will swindle America, let them bring it on.” - Pam Bondi, former AG, Florida.

7. “To the mainstream media the truth does not matter as long as it fits their narrative of anti Christians, anti conservatives and anti Trump.” - Nicholas Sandman, Covington High Schooler

8. “Other presidents like to start wars but President Trump is the only president who has not started any war. If you don’t like war like I don't, join me in re-electing Trump.”- Ron Paul, MD, Senator, Kentucky.

9. "Biden is too weak, too scared and too sleepy to stand up to the radical left.” - Robert Vlaisavljevich, Mayor of Eveleth, Minnesota, life long Democrat now voting Trump,

10. "He cut the handcuffs off American people and they are now freely doing what they do best, innovating." - Not named contributor.

ICHEOKU'S FAVORITE MEMORABLE WORDS OF DAY ONE OF RNC 2020.

1. "President Donald John Trump is the bodyguard of Western civilization." - Charlie Kirk. 

2. "We are not where we want to be, but thank God we are not where we used to be." - Senator Tim Scott, South Carolina. 

3. "It is very difficult to innovate with excessive regulation and too much taxation." - A bee keeper lady.

4a. "You don’t want to dial 911 and have it going to a voicemail." - Don Jr. 

4b. "Joe Biden is the Loch-ness monster of the swamp." - Don Jr. 

5. "Donald Trump is about strength and success, Joe Biden is about weakness and failure. The choice is clear." - Nikky Haley. 

6. "The Republican Party is the pro American party and President Donald John Trump is the pro American president." - Congressman Jim Jordan, Ohio.

RNC 2020: TRUMP RENOMINATED, HURRAY!

ICHEOKU says congratulations to President Donald John Trump for once again leading the charge against the Democratic Party and leading the Republican Party to victory this November 3rd, 2020. The Republican National Convention has made it official by formally renominating him alongside Vice President Mike Pence as the flag bearers of the party in election 2020. #Vote4Trump.

RNC 2020 OPENS STRONGLY: A GREAT FIRST DAY.

ICHEOKU says kudos to Republican National Convention chairwoman Ron McDaniels, a strong woman, who President Donald John Trump put in charge of the task to lead Republicans into a second term victory. Unlike her uncle, Mitt Romeny, who puts women in binders, the president gives women responsibilities, aware that both men and women are equal. ICHEOKU says congratulations to the chairwoman and the entire Republican Party for renominating the president for a second term. A good first day and we expect the remaining three says will equally sizzle.

ICHEOKU WISHES MR PRESIDENT THE BEST CONVENTION EVER!

IT IS REPUBLICAN PARTY CONVENTION WEEK: HURRAY!

ICHEOKU says wishing President Donald John Trump the best convention ever. Go get them Mr President and let American people know why Joe Biden is not up to the game nor the one to replace you. May the good Lord see you through a very successful convention in Jesus name, Amen. #Vote4Trump, #4MoreYears.

ITS GOP CONVENTION: GO GET THEM MR PRESIDENT!

ICHEOKU says wishes Mr President all the best during the convention. Salute.

MAYOR LIGHTFOOT OF CHICAGO: AN EMBODIMENT OF DEMOCRATIC PHARISEE.

ICHEOKU says she kept quiet while Chicago was being looted and burnt, dissuading the police not to defend the city and protect the people from these Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA vandals. But not until they threatened her own neighborhood did she realize that these vermin do not belong in a civilized society. As a result, she ordered the police to defend her neighborhood saying that she is going to make sure that her home and family are protected. were necessary to protect her and her family. ICHEOKU says how about the other Chicagoans homes and families or are they of lesser important. 

ICHEOKU says are Chicagoans now witnessing a George Orwell's Animal Farm come alive, where Mayor Lightfoot is "more equal than" other Chicagoans. It is sad and it is pitiful, the America which the Democratic Party is desperately trying to foist on everyone. It was the same thing she did during the peak of the coronavirus when she put the city of Chicago under a complete lockdown but was sneaking out to get her own hair done when others were turning into hippies and when asked, said that her looks is more important than any other Chicagoan's appearance because she is the face of the city. What an entitled homosexual lesbian and she is really petite. Pitifully sad.

NANCY PELOSI PASSES STAND ALONE POSTAL SERVICE BILL, BUT WON'T STIMULUS.

ICHEOKU says everything about her, what she says and what she does are all guided by politics. Her rule number one is how to stay in power; rule number two, how to hold unto power and rule number three, how to maintain power. She does not care about American people's real issues nor their welfare. Now sensing a political advantage she has rushed to pass the Postal Service bill believing it will be her Russian Collusion 2.0 when President Donald John Trump wins an assured reelection on November 3rd. 

It is ridiculous that the same Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi who would not pass a stand-alone extension of stimulus bill to help agonizing Americans, who are going through hard times due to unemployment because of the coronavirus, speedily called back Congress and passed a $25 billion stand-alone handout to the postal service. It actually shows where the heart of the Speaker is, not on American people's wellbeing but on political correctness of using the United States Postal Service for political gamesmanship. A matter made more poignant because the Post Master General Louis Dejoy had in his testimony earlier assured that all on time mails will be delivered timely and that no impediment to the November 3rd election would arise from mail in ballots delivery being delayed. 

If Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi is looking out for the American people she would have prioritized the wellbeing of American people and the need to ensure that they will be alive to vote in November by providing them with stimulus assistance to help them feed their families, including buying milk for their infants. But she does not care as all her attention and body fibre is solely focused on winning back power on November 3rd election. It is rather very unfortunate what the November 3rd election has made out of many Democrats, possessed by demonic spirit of uncaring and an insincere people who are just piling on at the president just to wrestle back power from him. ICHEOKU wonders why they think that they can deceive American people by passing off such blatant power grab obsession as something else. 

The president had earlier asked the Speaker to just extend the stimulus checks for a few weeks while their negotiations continues, but the Speaker adamantly refused, saying it is either all the infused porks in the bill is passed alongside the Stimulus extension or there is no deal at all. But now, she is prepared and indeed has passed a stand-alone single item postal service bill without any preconditions or additional porks. What a joke of a woman and she is the Speaker of the House of Representatives who are supposedly representing the people but cannot do right for the people with a stimulus check extension. Pitiful. 

ICHEOKU says the Republicans must stand firmly with the president and not allow the Postal Service bill to see the light of the day. Why must the postal service be prioritized over American people and why must an election be more important than buying milk for infant babies. It is too political and the madness needs to stop. Any American voter who does not see through the charade of power grab being orchestrated by Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic Party is simply not looking hard enough or is part of the partisanship that has a lot of misplaced priorities. It is not fair and it is not right that stimulus checks cannot be extended as a single item stand-alone bill but postal service was. 

In this election, please do not be a party to such brazenness, say no to the Democrats and their Joe Biden/Kamala Harris because they don't really care about American people. They are just there and doing all they do just for power grab. It is very dangerous to be that power hungry and it sad and pitiful when they go about it in such a brutish manner. American people must defend themselves from these jackals by rejecting them in November, They are up to no good and they don't have the interest of American people at heart. #Vote4Trump.

BIDEN/HARRIS: IT WAS JUST A CAMPAIGN.

ICHEOKU says Democratic Party's vice presidential candidate nominee Kamala Harris when asked why she lied that Joe Biden is a racist, responded that it was just a debate. According to her, in a debate everything and anything goes including leveling such a big lie against an opponent just to score points. She lied then and she cannot be believed to now tell the truth going forward as everything she says and does is schemed towards securing a point. She is slick and slippery and has no scruples telling such a devastating lie against the character of the man she later agreed to be his vice presidential candidate nominee. 

The Jamaican-Indian woman will not hesitate to also tell Americans that it was just a campaign should her ticket get elected by most improbable happenstance and they cannot deliver on the many tall promises which they have made to American people. Former President George W Bush said fool me once shame on you but fool me twice shame on me and American people cannot allow themselves to be twice lied to by this woman. If she could so callously lie against Joe Biden, why should anyone trust whatever comes out of her mouth. Kamala Harris cannot be trusted as she lies every time her lips moves. American people must reject any opportunity to be told later that it was just a campaign. Say no to Kamala Harris, do not vote for Biden/Harris. @Vote4Trump.

JOE BIDEN: DID HE DO ENOUGH TO WIN THE PRESIDENCY?

ICHEOKU says could it be a third time is the charm kind of miracle in the horizon for Joe Biden; and that he could replicate what Abraham Lincoln did by pulling off the presidency this time around, on a third try? ICHEOKU says does not think so as there is more to being elected president of the United States of America than simply reading through a prepared text on a teleprompter without noticeable transfixions, lost in thought gazes, gaffes, mistakes and mispronunciations. 

Yes indeed, Joe Biden did well reading his speech and far beyond what anyone had expected of him due to his obvious mental depreciation and physical frailty. Simply surmised, he was a beneficiary of the low expectation which people had of him as he performed far beyond the low bar set for him and therefore technically excelled in his speech. People were expecting to be disappointed, shocked and ashamed but they were not, hence the loud ovation which poured his way at the end of the speech. He did very much better than was expected and so he did resoundingly well. 

But that is as far as it goes as he has no serious plans to fix what is broken in America and being compassionate or a Mr Nice Guy won't just cut it. His time is long past and he did not have much to show for it in the department of performance and delivering the goods for the people when he was in power and he cannot do it now. What he couldn't do in the last 48 years he has been in Washington DC, he cannot do now and so goes up in smoke his another attempt at anchoring in the White House as American people will vote to reelect President Donald John Trump for a second term on November 3rd 2020. 

Joe Biden probably gave it his all in the speech, but it was not enough to win the presidency.  As Alexandria Ocasio Cortez rightly said, American people are a forward ever looking and moving people and they will not go back to their vomit of 2016. Joe Biden has gone with the winds of political dynamism and he will forever just remain in the rearview mirror of American presidential politics where he is now consigned. He and Barack Obama were the reason President Donald John Trump is in the White House today and the reason is stronger today than it was in 2016, so no deal. #Vote4Trump.

JOE BIDEN DELIVERS HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH: DNC 2020.

Good evening. 

Ella Baker, a giant of the civil rights movement, left us with this wisdom: Give people light and they will find a way. Give people light. Those are words for our time. The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division. 

Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us not the worst. I will be an ally of the light not of the darkness. It's time for us, for We the People, to come together. For make no mistake. United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America. We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege. 

I am a proud Democrat and I will be proud to carry the banner of our party into the general election. So, it is with great honor and humility that I accept this nomination for President of the United States of America. 

But while I will be a Democratic candidate, I will be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn't support me as I will for those who did. That's the job of a president. To represent all of us, not just our base or our party. This is not a partisan moment. This must be an American moment. It's a moment that calls for hope and light and love. Hope for our futures, light to see our way forward, and love for one another. 

America isn't just a collection of clashing interests of Red States or Blue States. We're so much bigger than that. We're so much better than that. 

Nearly a century ago, Franklin Roosevelt pledged a New Deal in a time of massive unemployment, uncertainty, and fear. Stricken by disease, stricken by a virus, FDR insisted that he would recover and prevail and he believed America could as well. And he did. And so can we. 

This campaign isn't just about winning votes. It's about winning the heart, and yes, the soul of America. Winning it for the generous among us, not the selfish. Winning it for the workers who keep this country going, not just the privileged few at the top. Winning it for those communities who have known the injustice of the "knee on the neck". For all the young people who have known only an America of rising inequity and shrinking opportunity. 

They deserve to experience America's promise in full. No generation ever knows what history will ask of it. All we can ever know is whether we'll be ready when that moment arrives. And now history has delivered us to one of the most difficult moments America has ever faced. Four historic crises. All at the same time. A perfect storm. 

The worst pandemic in over 100 years. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The most compelling call for racial justice since the 60's. And the undeniable realities and accelerating threats of climate change. So, the question for us is simple: Are we ready? I believe we are. We must be. 

All elections are important. But we know in our bones this one is more consequential. America is at an inflection point. A time of real peril, but of extraordinary possibilities. We can choose the path of becoming angrier, less hopeful, and more divided. A path of shadow and suspicion. Or we can choose a different path, and together, take this chance to heal, to be reborn, to unite. A path of hope and light. 

This is a life-changing election that will determine America's future for a very long time. Character is on the ballot. Compassion is on the ballot. Decency, science, democracy. They are all on the ballot. Who we are as a nation. What we stand for. And, most importantly, who we want to be. That’s all on the ballot. 

And the choice could not be clearer. No rhetoric is needed. Just judge this president on the facts. 5 million Americans infected with COVID-19. More than 170,000 Americans have died. By far the worst performance of any nation on Earth. More than 50 million people have filed for unemployment this year. More than 10 million people are going to lose their health insurance this year. Nearly one in 6 small businesses have closed this year. 

If this president is re-elected we know what will happen. Cases and deaths will remain far too high. More mom and pop businesses will close their doors for good. Working families will struggle to get by, and yet, the wealthiest one percent will get tens of billions of dollars in new tax breaks. 

And the assault on the Affordable Care Act will continue until its destroyed, taking insurance away from more than 20 million people – including more than 15 million people on Medicaid – and getting rid of the protections that President Obama and I passed for people who suffer from a pre-existing condition. 

And speaking of President Obama, a man I was honored to serve alongside for 8 years as Vice President. Let me take this moment to say something we don't say nearly enough. Thank you, Mr. President. You were a great president. A president our children could – and did – look up to. 

No one will say that about the current occupant of the office. What we know about this president is if he's given four more years he will be what he's been the last four years. A president who takes no responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cozies up to dictators, and fans the flames of hate and division. He will wake up every day believing the job is all about him. Never about you. Is that the America you want for you, your family, your children? I see a different America. One that is generous and strong. Selfless and humble. It’s an America we can rebuild together. 

As president, the first step I will take will be to get control of the virus that's ruined so many lives. Because I understand something this president doesn't. We will never get our economy back on track, we will never get our kids safely back to school, we will never have our lives back, until we deal with this virus. 

The tragedy of where we are today is it didn't have to be this bad. Just look around. It's not this bad in Canada. Or Europe. Or Japan. Or almost anywhere else in the world. The President keeps telling us the virus is going to disappear. He keeps waiting for a miracle. Well, I have news for him, no miracle is coming. 

We lead the world in confirmed cases. We lead the world in deaths. Our economy is in tatters, with Black, Latino, Asian American, and Native American communities bearing the brunt of it. And after all this time, the president still does not have a plan. Well, I do. 

If I'm president on day one we'll implement the national strategy I've been laying out since March. We'll develop and deploy rapid tests with results available immediately. We'll make the medical supplies and protective equipment our country needs. And we'll make them here in America. So we will never again be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries in order to protect our own people. We'll make sure our schools have the resources they need to be open, safe, and effective. We'll put the politics aside and take the muzzle off our experts so the public gets the information they need and deserve. The honest, unvarnished truth. They can deal with that. We'll have a national mandate to wear a mask-not as a burden, but to protect each other. It's a patriotic duty. In short, I will do what we should have done from the very beginning. 

Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to this nation. He failed to protect us. He failed to protect America. And, my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable. 

As president, I will make you this promise: I will protect America. I will defend us from every attack. Seen. And unseen. Always. Without exception. Every time. Look, I understand it's hard to have hope right now. On this summer night, let me take a moment to speak to those of you who have lost the most. I know how it feels to lose someone you love. I know that deep black hole that opens up in your chest. That you feel your whole being is sucked into it. I know how mean and cruel and unfair life can be sometimes. 

But I've learned two things. First, your loved ones may have left this Earth but they never leave your heart. They will always be with you. And second, I found the best way through pain and loss and grief is to find purpose. As God's children each of us have a purpose in our lives. And we have a great purpose as a nation: To open the doors of opportunity to all Americans. To save our democracy. To be a light to the world once again. To finally live up to and make real the words written in the sacred documents that founded this nation that all men and women are created equal. Endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

You know, my Dad was an honorable, decent man. He got knocked down a few times pretty hard, but always got up. He worked hard and built a great middle-class life for our family. He used to say, "Joey, I don't expect the government to solve my problems, but I expect it to understand them." And then he would say: "Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about your dignity. It's about respect. It's about your place in your community. It’s about looking your kids in the eye and say, honey, it’s going to be okay." 

I've never forgotten those lessons. That's why my economic plan is all about jobs, dignity, respect, and community. Together, we can, and we will, rebuild our economy. And when we do, we'll not only build it back, we'll build it back better. With modern roads, bridges, highways, broadband, ports and airports as a new foundation for economic growth. With pipes that transport clean water to every community. With 5 million new manufacturing and technology jobs so the future is made in America. 

With a health care system that lowers premiums, deductibles, and drug prices by building on the Affordable Care Act he’s trying to rip away. With an education system that trains our people for the best jobs of the 21st century, where cost doesn't prevent young people from going to college, and student debt doesn't crush them when they get out. 

With child care and elder care that make it possible for parents to go to work and for the elderly to stay in their homes with dignity. With an immigration system that powers our economy and reflects our values. With newly empowered labor unions. With equal pay for women. With rising wages you can raise a family on. Yes, we're going to do more than praise our essential workers. We're finally going to pay them. 

We can, and we will, deal with climate change. It's not only a crisis, it's an enormous opportunity. An opportunity for America to lead the world in clean energy and create millions of new good-paying jobs in the process. And we can pay for these investments by ending loopholes and the president's $1.3 trillion tax giveaway to the wealthiest 1 percent and the biggest, most profitable corporations, some of which pay no tax at all. 

Because we don't need a tax code that rewards wealth more than it rewards work. I'm not looking to punish anyone. Far from it. But it's long past time the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations in this country paid their fair share. 

For our seniors, Social Security is a sacred obligation, a sacred promise made. The current president is threatening to break that promise. He's proposing to eliminate the tax that pays for almost half of Social Security without any way of making up for that lost revenue. I will not let it happen. If I'm your president, we're going to protect Social Security and Medicare. You have my word. 

One of the most powerful voices we hear in the country today is from our young people. They're speaking to the inequity and injustice that has grown up in America. Economic injustice. Racial injustice. Environmental injustice. I hear their voices and if you listen, you can hear them too. And whether it's the existential threat posed by climate change, the daily fear of being gunned down in school, or the inability to get started in their first job — it will be the work of the next president to restore the promise of America to everyone. 

I won't have to do it alone. Because I will have a great Vice President at my side. Senator Kamala Harris. She is a powerful voice for this nation. Her story is the American story. She knows about all the obstacles thrown in the way of so many in our country. Women, Black women, Black Americans, South Asian Americans, immigrants, the left-out and left-behind. 

But she's overcome every obstacle she's ever faced. No one's been tougher on the big banks or the gun lobby. No one's been tougher in calling out this current administration for its extremism, its failure to follow the law, and its failure to simply tell the truth. Kamala and I both draw strength from our families. For Kamala, it’s Doug and their families. 

For me, it’s Jill and ours. No man deserves one great love in his life. But I've known two. After losing my first wife in a car accident, Jill came into my life and put our family back together. She's an educator. A mom. A military Mom. And an unstoppable force. If she puts her mind to it, just get out of the way. Because she's going to get it done. She was a great Second Lady and she will make a great First Lady for this nation, she loves this country so much. 

And I will have the strength that can only come from family. Hunter, Ashley and all our grandchildren, my brothers, my sister. They give me courage and lift me up. And while he is no longer with us, Beau inspires me every day. Beau served our nation in uniform. A decorated Iraq war veteran. So I take very personally the profound responsibility of serving as Commander in Chief. I will be a president who will stand with our allies and friends. I will make it clear to our adversaries the days of cozying up to dictators are over. 

Under President Biden, America will not turn a blind eye to Russian bounties on the heads of American soldiers. Nor will I put up with foreign interference in our most sacred democratic exercise – voting. I will stand always for our values of human rights and dignity. And I will work in common purpose for a more secure, peaceful, and prosperous world. 

History has thrust one more urgent task on us. Will we be the generation that finally wipes the stain of racism from our national character? I believe we're up to it. I believe we're ready. 

Just a week ago yesterday was the third anniversary of the events in Charlottesville. Remember seeing those neo-Nazis and Klansmen and white supremacists coming out of the fields with lighted torches? Veins bulging? Spewing the same anti-Semitic bile heard across Europe in the '30s? Remember the violent clash that ensued between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it? Remember what the president said? There were quote, "very fine people on both sides." 

It was a wake-up call for us as a country. And for me, a call to action. At that moment, I knew I’d have to run. My father taught us that silence was complicity. And I could not remain silent or complicit. At the time, I said we were in a battle for the soul of this nation. And we are. 

One of the most important conversations I've had this entire campaign is with someone who is too young to vote. I met with six-year old Gianna Floyd, a day before her Daddy George Floyd was laid to rest. She is incredibly brave. I’ll never forget. When I leaned down to speak with her, she looked into my eyes and said "Daddy, changed the world." Her words burrowed deep into my heart. Maybe George Floyd's murder was the breaking point. Maybe John Lewis' passing the inspiration. 

However it has come to be, America is ready to in John's words, to lay down "the heavy burdens of hate at last" and to do the hard work of rooting out our systemic racism. America's history tells us that it has been in our darkest moments that we've made our greatest progress. That we've found the light. And in this dark moment, I believe we are poised to make great progress again. That we can find the light once more. 

I have always believed you can define America in one word: Possibilities. That in America, everyone, and I mean everyone, should be given the opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them. 

We can never lose that. In times as challenging as these, I believe there is only one way forward. As a united America. United in our pursuit of a more perfect Union. United in our dreams of a better future for us and for our children. United in our determination to make the coming years bright. 

Are we ready? I believe we are. This is a great nation. And we are a good and decent people. This is the United States of America. And there has never been anything we’ve been unable to accomplish when we've done it together. 

The Irish poet Seamus Heaney once wrote:

"History says,

Don't hope on this side of the grave,

But then, once in a lifetime

The longed-for tidal wave

Of justice can rise up,

And hope and history rhyme" 

This is our moment to make hope and history rhyme. With passion and purpose, let us begin – you and I together, one nation, under God – united in our love for America and united in our love for each other. For love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. Light is more powerful than dark. This is our moment. This is our mission. 

May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here tonight as love and hope and light joined in the battle for the soul of the nation. And this is a battle that we, together, will win. I promise you. Thank you. And may God bless you. And may God protect our troops.

KAMALA HARRIS VICE PRESIDENTIAL ACCEPTANCE SPEECH DNC 2020

Greetings Americans. 

It is truly an honor to be speaking with you. That I am here tonight is a testament to the dedication of generations before me. Women and men who believed so fiercely in the promise of equality, liberty, and justice for all. This week marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. And we celebrate the women who fought for that right. Yet so many of the Black women who helped secure that victory were still prohibited from voting, long after its ratification. But they were undeterred. 

Without fanfare or recognition, they organized, testified, rallied, marched, and fought—not just for their vote, but for a seat at the table. These women and the generations that followed worked to make democracy and opportunity real in the lives of all of us who followed. They paved the way for the trailblazing leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. And these women inspired us to pick up the torch, and fight on. Women like Mary Church Terrell and Mary McCleod Bethune. Fannie Lou Hamer and Diane Nash. Constance Baker Motley and Shirley Chisholm. We’re not often taught their stories. But as Americans, we all stand on their shoulders. 

There’s another woman, whose name isn’t known, whose story isn’t shared. Another woman whose shoulders I stand on. And that’s my mother—Shyamala Gopalan Harris. She came here from India at age 19 to pursue her dream of curing cancer. At the University of California Berkeley, she met my father, Donald Harris—who had come from Jamaica to study economics. They fell in love in that most American way—while marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. In the streets of Oakland and Berkeley, I got a stroller’s-eye view of people getting into what the great John Lewis called “good trouble.”

When I was 5, my parents split and my mother raised us mostly on her own. Like so many mothers, she worked around the clock to make it work—packing lunches before we woke up— and paying bills after we went to bed. Helping us with homework at the kitchen table—and shuttling us to church for choir practice. She made it look easy, though I know it never was. My mother instilled in my sister, Maya, and me the values that would chart the course of our lives. She raised us to be proud, strong Black women. And she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage. She taught us to put family first—the family you’re born into and the family you choose. 

Family, is my husband Doug, who I met on a blind date set up by my best friend. Family is our beautiful children, Cole and Ella, who as you just heard, call me Momala. Family is my sister. Family is my best friend, my nieces and my godchildren. Family is my uncles, my aunts—my chitthis. Family is Mrs. Shelton—my second mother who lived two doors down and helped raise me. Family is my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha…our Divine 9…and my HBCU brothers and sisters. Family is the friends I turned to when my mother—the most important person in my life—passed away from cancer. 

And even as she taught us to keep our family at the center of our world, she also pushed us to see a world beyond ourselves. She taught us to be conscious and compassionate about the struggles of all people. To believe public service is a noble cause and the fight for justice is a shared responsibility. That led me to become a lawyer, a District Attorney, Attorney General, and a United States Senator. And at every step of the way, I’ve been guided by the words I spoke from the first time I stood in a courtroom: Kamala Harris, For the People. 

I’ve fought for children, and survivors of sexual assault. I’ve fought against transnational gangs. I took on the biggest banks, and helped take down one of the biggest for-profit colleges. I know a predator when I see one. 

My mother taught me that service to others gives life purpose and meaning. And oh, how I wish she were here tonight but I know she’s looking down on me from above. I keep thinking about that 25-year-old Indian woman—all of five feet tall—who gave birth to me at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, California. On that day, she probably could have never imagined that I would be standing before you now speaking these words: I accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States of America. 

I do so, committed to the values she taught me. To the word that teaches me to walk by faith, and not by sight. And to a vision passed on through generations of Americans—one that Joe Biden shares. A vision of our nation as a Beloved Community—where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love. A country where we may not agree on every detail, but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth, deserving of compassion, dignity and respect. A country where we look out for one another, where we rise and fall as one, where we face our challenges, and celebrate our triumphs—together. 

Today… that country feels distant. Donald Trump’s failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods. If you’re a parent struggling with your child’s remote learning, or you’re a teacher struggling on the other side of that screen, you know that what we’re doing right now isn’t working. And we are a nation that’s grieving. Grieving the loss of life, the loss of jobs, the loss of opportunities, the loss of normalcy. And yes, the loss of certainty. 

And while this virus touches us all, let’s be honest, it is not an equal opportunity offender. Black, Latino and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately. This is not a coincidence. It is the effect of structural racism. Of inequities in education and technology, health care and housing, job security and transportation. The injustice in reproductive and maternal health care. In the excessive use of force by police. And in our broader criminal justice system. This virus has no eyes, and yet it knows exactly how we see each other—and how we treat each other. 

And let’s be clear—there is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work. For George Floyd. For Breonna Taylor. For the lives of too many others to name. For our children. For all of us. We’ve gotta do the work to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law. Because, none of us are free…until all of us are free… We’re at an inflection point. The constant chaos leaves us adrift. The incompetence makes us feel afraid. The callousness makes us feel alone. It’s a lot. 

And here’s the thing: We can do better and deserve so much more. We must elect a president who will bring something different, something better, and do the important work. A president who will bring all of us together—Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indigenous—to achieve the future we collectively want. We must elect Joe Biden. I knew Joe as Vice President. I knew Joe on the campaign trail. But I first got to know Joe as the father of my friend. 

Joe’s son, Beau, and I served as Attorneys General of our states, Delaware and California. During the Great Recession, we spoke on the phone nearly every day, working together to win back billions of dollars for homeowners from the big banks that foreclosed on people’s homes. And Beau and I would talk about his family. How, as a single father, Joe would spend 4 hours every day riding the train back and forth from Wilmington to Washington. Beau and Hunter got to have breakfast every morning with their dad. They went to sleep every night with the sound of his voice reading bedtime stories. And while they endured an unspeakable loss, these two little boys Always knew that they were deeply, unconditionally loved. 

And what also moved me about Joe is the work he did, as he went back and forth. This is the leader who wrote the Violence Against Women Act—and enacted the Assault Weapons Ban. Who, as Vice President, implemented The Recovery Act, which brought our country back from The Great Recession. He championed The Affordable Care Act, protecting millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. Who spent decades promoting American values and interests around the world, standing up with our allies and standing up to our adversaries. 

Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons. Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose. Joe will bring us together to build an economy that doesn’t leave anyone behind. Where a good-paying job is the floor, not the ceiling. Joe will bring us together to end this pandemic and make sure that we are prepared for the next one. Joe will bring us together to squarely face and dismantle racial injustice, furthering the work of generations. 

Joe and I believe that we can build that Beloved Community, one that is strong and decent, just and kind. One in which we all can see ourselves. That’s the vision that our parents and grandparents fought for. The vision that made my own life possible. The vision that makes the American promise—for all its complexities and imperfections—a promise worth fighting for. Make no mistake, the road ahead will not be not easy. We will stumble. We may fall short. But I pledge to you that we will act boldly and deal with our challenges honestly. We will speak truths. And we will act with the same faith in you that we ask you to place in us. 

We believe that our country—all of us, will stand together for a better future. We already are. We see it in the doctors, the nurses, the home health care workers and the frontline workers who are risking their lives to save people they’ve never met. We see it in the teachers and truck drivers, the factory workers and farmers, the postal workers and the Poll workers, all putting their own safety on the line to help us get through this pandemic. And we see it in so many of you who are working, not just to get us through our current crises, but to somewhere better. 

There’s something happening, all across the country. It’s not about Joe or me. It’s about you. It’s about us. People of all ages and colors and creeds who are, yes, taking to the streets, and also persuading our family members, rallying our friends, organizing our neighbors, and getting out the vote. And we’ve shown that, when we vote, we expand access to health care, expand access to the ballot box, and ensure that more working families can make a decent living. 

I’m inspired by a new generation of leadership. You are pushing us to realize the ideals of our nation, pushing us to live the values we share: decency and fairness, justice and love. You are the patriots who remind us that to love our country is to fight for the ideals of our country. 

In this election, we have a chance to change the course of history. We’re all in this fight. You, me, and Joe—together. What an awesome responsibility. What an awesome privilege. So, let’s fight with conviction. Let’s fight with hope. Let’s fight with confidence in ourselves, and a commitment to each other. To the America we know is possible. The America, we love. 

Years from now, this moment will have passed. And our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and ask us: Where were you when the stakes were so high? They will ask us, what was it like? And we will tell them. We will tell them, not just how we felt. We will tell them what we did. Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.