Up Close with Democracy: A Mother and Son’s Day in American Politics

By Melanie Chance

Vice President JD Vance visited the Kansas City area on Monday, Sept. 14, for a day that blended official duties with campaigning ahead of the November midterm elections.

Earlier that day, Vance attended an event in Kansas City, Missouri, centered on fraud related to federal COVID-era loan programs. He then headed across the state line to Olathe, Kansas, where he spoke at Webco Manufacturing in support of U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall’s reelection campaign.

At that second stop, my 12-year-old son, Salem, and I found ourselves just two rows from the vice president of the United States.

Not everyone knows how much I enjoy being involved in politics—from working on campaigns here at home to participating in local organizations and getting to know the people who shape our communities.

I often tell my kids that one of the best ways to make a difference in your own neighborhood is to get involved in local government and community life. I’ve tried to live by those words myself.

Because of that campaign work, I’ve spent time all over Missouri’s 28th Senate District and met people in communities I might never have visited otherwise. From county courthouses and community meetings to parades, festivals, and campaign events, I’ve listened to what matters in their towns and learned more about the places they call home. I’m grateful for the relationships and experiences that have come from it.

Monday gave me the chance to share a very different side of politics with Salem.

Sitting just two rows from the stage, he wasn’t watching a clip on TV or scrolling past a video on social media. He could actually see the vice president speak, hear the reactions of the crowd, and watch firsthand as protesters interrupted the event.

When one protester started shouting during Vance’s speech, Salem watched as security stepped in and escorted the person out. The crowd broke out in chants of “USA,” and Vance paused to respond before continuing his remarks.

For a 12-year-old sitting that close, it was a firsthand look at something you can’t really understand through a screen: American politics can be loud, passionate, and sometimes messy. People have the right to disagree, crowds react in their own way, security keeps order, and officials carry on.

But the day was about more than the interruptions.

Salem listened as Vance talked about American manufacturing, immigration, jobs, and the country’s future. He saw national, state, and local political figures all in the same room and took in the security, crowds, speeches, cheers, and disagreements that come with a vice presidential visit.

For me, that was probably the most meaningful part of the trip.

I’ve always told my kids that government doesn’t just happen in Washington, D.C., or on TV. It starts at home—in our towns, counties, and neighborhoods—with regular people who show up, pay attention, and get involved.

Whatever Salem comes to believe about politics as he gets older, that’s up to him. My job as his mom is to give him chances to learn, ask questions, see government and civic life for himself, and know that his voice matters.

On Monday, he got to see it up close.

After the speeches ended and the crowds cleared, we made the drive back home to rural Missouri. I wondered how much of the day a 12-year-old would really carry with him.

When we got home, I got my answer.

Salem wrapped his arms around me and said, “I hate that today is over.”

I think this is just the beginning for him. Why? Because his mom is too involved—my family gets to go to these events more often than most.