Wednesday, September 28, 2005
On Monday, September 24, 2005, I gave my first speech at the Prisco Center in Aurora. Illinois State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia was hosting a Citizens’ Workshop on Social Security for local residents. In February, I had attended a similar meeting held by U.S. Senator Barack Obama.
I found Linda to be an ambitious yet genuinely kindhearted woman, and I appreciate the fact that she allowed me to address the crowd towards the end of the program. Even though many people had already gone home (the event had been going on for about two hours by this point), there were probably about 40-50 people still in attendance.
Needless to say, I was extremely nervous. I stumbled through an opening introduction, and my voice was wavering. I was actually leaning against the stage in order to maintain my balance. Then all of a sudden, I regained my clarity, and I stood up and proclaimed my heartfelt words with strong conviction.
“I think the President’s plan to invest Social Security money in the stock market is a bad idea. I just don’t want to give my hard earned money to Wall Street, because it’s the same system that has been hitting working guys like me the hardest.
“It’s time for people to wake up and realize that what’s good for corporations is not always good for the country, and what’s best for American shareholders is not best for American stakeholders!
“We all have a stake in this country: we live here; we work here. We build our lives and plan our futures here.
“And the investment we need to protect is not the one printed upon the paper of stocks and bonds, but the one engraved upon the hearts and minds of a generation!”
At this, the crowd gave me a round of applause that belied its numbers. I was still pretty nervous, but I wound up speaking for another 5-10 minutes. There was one other thing I said that sticks in memory.
“Several months ago, I was in this very room for Barack Obama’s visit. When the time came for questions, I stood up and raised my hand. But he didn't call on me. He probably thought I was just another punk kid from Aurora. Well I think it’s time we remind the world that Aurora is not only the city of bright lights - it is also a city of bright minds!”
When I finished speaking, several people came up and told me that I had done a great job and should run for political office. I was still slightly embarrassed by how nervous I had been, but I gave them some printouts from my website.
