Presidential Hopeful Dennis Kucinich Visits Carrboro On a breezy April day in 2004, Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich strolled to the Carrboro bandstand with Carrboro Mayor Mike Nelson by his side, ready to tell the crowd of several hundred people why he wants to be President. There are probably plenty of people in Carrboro who said "Dennis who?" upon hearing of the candidate's visit. But there were plenty of people who know who he is and showed up in droves to hear about his vision for the future. There was music and speech-making before the Raging Grannies took to the solar-powered stage to welcome Kucinich in their own special way - creative poetry recited in unison. People with signs supporting their causes, political banners and campaign buttons abounded, as folks with kids and dogs spread blankets on the Town Commons lawn, getting comfortable to hear what Kucinich had to say. Mayor Nelson introduced Dennis Kucinich noting that they had something in common - both were elected mayor at the age of 31, Kucinich in Cleveland, and Nelson here in Carrboro. When Kucinich was elected in 1977, he was the youngest person who had ever been elected to take the helm of an American city of that size. Kucinich left politics for fifteen years, returning as a winning candidate in the Ohio Senate race in 1994. Kucinich is currently congressman for his Cleveland, Ohio district. So who is Dennis Kucinich and why is he different from most candidates? According to his website, Dennis is one of 7 children who moved frequently during his youth, relocating 21 times by the age of 17, even living in cars when necessity demanded. Surviving this childhood made him determined "to be of service to humanity." This lofty goal resulted in Kucinich becoming the 2003 recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award. How many presidential candidates are there that can make that claim? Kucinich also serves as chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the largest congressional caucus, fighting for basic human rights for Americans. Here in Carrboro Kucinich spoke of health care reform, withdrawing from NAFTA and WTO, repealing the Patriot Act, and ending our terrorism of Iraq, restoring America to a position of respect in the eyes of the rest of the world. Kucinich voiced his hope that one day any American who wishes to further their education can attend college as a basic right. He told of his father's immigration from Croatia, and how we as a nation can't forget where we came from nor close our doors to people who want to immigate today. A receptive audience took advantage of a question and answer period to ask about their particular concerns. It's not too late to show your support for Dennis Kucinich. If you are a registered Democrat you can vote in the Democratic Caucus on Saturday, April 17, 2004 from 8 am until noon. In Orange County go to Chapel Hill Town Hall at 306 N. Columbia Street or the Orange County Courthouse on East Margaret Lane in Hillsborough. For more information go to http://www.ncdp.org/PDF/CaucusFAQ04.pdf. For more information on Dennis Kucinich, go to http://www.kucinich.us Home | Overview | About Us | Ads | Art | Businesses | Carrboro and Area Stuff | Carrboro Map | Computer Stuff | Downtown Carrboro Map | Events | Prices | Restaurants | UniqueOrn Enterprises