The Honorable Harry Reid's Speech before the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, July 28, 2004 BOSTON, July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a transcript of a speech by The Honorable Harry Reid, before the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, July 28, 2004: The legendary singer and songwriter Loretta Lynn said she was proud to be a coal miner's daughter. Well, I'm proud to be a gold miner's son. I was born and raised in a rural mining town called Searchlight, Nevada. My father was a hard rock miner who toiled in the dark depths of the earth. My mom took in laundry to help make ends meet. Both my parents taught me that hard work is a virtue. Even though our house didn't have hot water or an inside toilet, it was truly a family home to me and my three brothers. My mom and dad lived through the Depression. Those hard times taught them that people need to help their neighbors. And President Franklin Delano Roosevelt taught them there is always hope. On the wall of our home in Searchlight my mother hung a blue pillowcase with yellow fringe and stitching of a quote by President Roosevelt. I can still see his words on the wall of our home: WE CAN. WE WILL. WE MUST. In my mind's eye I can see the schoolhouse where my teacher, Mrs. Pickard, taught all eight grades. We had to go to high school in another town so some didn't get to go. I can picture my brothers and me playing baseball in the dirt and rocks just below our home. In Searchlight there were no lawns, almost no trees, mainly because there wasn't enough water. My brother Larry broke his leg in a bad bicycle accident. I can still see him lying in bed with that painful injury. Because we had no doctor in Searchlight, Larry's leg had to heal on its own a little bent to this day. I vaguely remember World War II. But I soon learned of the sacrifices so many had made, including Searchlight's hero, Bill Nellis. He was a fighter pilot who never came back from his last mission in Europe. Today Nevada proudly boasts the No. 1 Air Force fighter training facility in the world and it's named Nellis Air Force Base. And I recall how the dark desert night would turn to day when the government exploded a nuclear weapon at the Nevada Test Site. Today I still call Searchlight home. And I still try to live by the lessons and values I learned there. Senator John Kerry is from New England, but he learned the same things I did. Senator John Edwards, who was born and raised in the south and in the factories there, learned about hard work and hope. We all learned about the importance and dignity of hard work. That's why John Kerry will create millions of good jobs. We all believe that education opens the door of opportunity that's why John Kerry will make our schools better, so every child can get a quality education. We know that even today, millions of Americans still can't see a doctor when they need to that's why John Kerry has a real plan to fix the health care system in this country. And we know that Nevadans will never again stand for being exposed to dangerous nuclear tests or nuclear waste. We agree that Nevada should be a proving ground for renewable energy not a dumping ground for nuclear waste. That's why, when John Kerry is elected President, he will stop wasting billions of dollars trying to dump nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain and he'll lead us to energy independence. John Kerry and John Edwards will make America stronger at home and they'll restore our respect around the world. WE CAN DO IT ... WE WILL DO IT ... AND WE MUST. As a boy in Nevada, I started going down into the mines with my dad. He taught me how to tell the difference between real gold and something we call fool's gold. Real gold is precious. But even though fool's gold glitters to look like gold it is worthless. George Bush promised to create millions of jobs. He promised to Leave No Child behind in school. He promised to cut prescription drug costs and he promised to unite our country and bring the American people together. Those promises turned out to be fool's gold. John Kerry is the real deal. He is a hero in war and a leader in government. With John Kerry's leadership, we can work together to create more good jobs. We will work together to improve our public schools. We will cut health care costs, and make sure every American who is sick can see a doctor and we must develop an energy strategy that makes our nation stronger. WE CAN ... WE WILL ... AND WE MUST ... Thank you all very much. Source: Democratic National Convention Committee CONTACT: Peggy Wilhide of the Democratic National Convention Committee, +1-617-366-3100 Web site: http://www.dems2004.org/