Casey: DNC Showed “Something Very Special About the People of Philadelphia”

Sen, Bob Casey, D-Penn., speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Monday, July 25, 2016.

This is an opinion column by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

The city of Philadelphia is no stranger to making history. Our Commonwealth’s largest city is the cradle of liberty, the birthplace of America and now the city that nominated the first woman to lead a major party ticket for President.

History will write the story of this week and this election, but what this week also revealed is something very special about the people of Philadelphia. Throughout this week, I was struck by how many times people from out of state remarked about the kindness and graciousness of our residents, and the professionalism and dedication of all those who made this week a success — from the police officers who kept us safe to the volunteers who stood in the rain to direct convention goers to the Wells Fargo Center. We owe a debt of gratitude to our local law enforcement officers. The Philadelphia Police department and the Pennsylvania State Police coordinated among multiple law enforcement agencies.

Philadelphia exemplified one of the themes from the convention: that America at its best is a welcoming place where diversity is celebrated, where hospitality is freely given, not bestowed upon only those who think and look just like us, and where our exceptionalism is lived and strengthened by embracing strangers.

With the visit by Pope Francis in September the Democratic National Convention this past week, this has been a memorable year for Philadelphia. While residents are grateful for those experiences, they also come with some real inconveniences — the traffic among other challenges. However, the people of Philadelphia showed that they are a community always ready to welcome those from across our country and our world.