Teen Brayden Harrington Steals Hearts with Impassioned Speech At DNC
13-year-old Brayden Harrington stole hearts across the nation as he made his impassioned case for voters to elect former Vice
Ivy Griffith
13-year-old Brayden Harrington stole hearts across the nation as he made his impassioned case for voters to elect former Vice President Joe Biden to the presidency in November. Harrington and Biden both share something in common; they both stutter. Harrington bravely addressed the DNC virtually and pled his case for the former VP in a speech that stirred hearts.
Harrington met Biden in New Hampshire
Harrington is from New Hampshire, and it’s in New Hampshire that he had the opportunity to meet presidential candidate Biden. Biden took a moment to speak with Harrington backstage, and gave the teen some pointers on how to combat his struggles with stuttering. In that moment, he showed himself to be a caring and thoughtful candidate and earned Harrington’s loyalty, which he shared by using his voice to support Biden during the fourth night of the Democratic National Convention.
Harrington pleas his case with enthusiasm
During his speech, Harrington occasionally struggled with his stutter, but that didn’t but a damper on the passion and enthusiasm he conveyed when he spoke about how much Biden’s success meant to the teen, who described the former VP as a member of the same club.
Harrington began, “Hi, my name is Brayden Harrington, and I am 13 years old. And without Joe Biden, I wouldn’t be talking to you today. About a few months ago, I met him in New Hampshire. He told me that we were members of the same club. We stutter.”
He continued, “It was really amazing to hear that someone like me became Vice President. He told me about a book of poems by Yates that he would read out loud to practice. He showed me how he marks his addresses to make them easier to say out loud. So I did the same thing today. And now I’m here talking to you today about the future, about our future.”
Harrington addressed the way that things today feel bizarre, and the uneasy feeling that comes with living in 2020, “My family often says, ‘when the world feels better,’ before talking about something normal, like going to the movies. We all want the world to feel better. We need the world to feel better.”
The 13-year-old had praise for the fact that Biden took time out of his busy schedule to offer tips to a fellow stutterer, “I’m just a regular kid, and in a short amount of time, Joe Biden made me feel more confident about something that’s bothered me my whole life. Joe Biden cared. imagine what he could do for all of us.”
He concluded with a plea that stirred hearts, “Kids like me are counting on you to elect someone we can all look up to. Someone who cares. Someone who will make our country and the world feel better. We’re counting on you to elect Joe Biden.“
What is stuttering?
According to WeStutter.org, stuttering is described by the following criteria:
- “Stuttering is a communication disorder involving disruptions, or ‘disfluencies,’ in a person’s speech.
- People who stutter may experience repetitions (D-d-d-dog), prolongations (Mmmmmmilk), or blocks (an absence of sound), or can experience some combination of these sounds.
- The severity of stuttering varies widely among individuals.
- It’s estimated about one percent of the adult population stutters, which equates to almost three million people who stutter in the United States.
- Stuttering is about three or four times more common in males than females.
- There is no reliable, research-backed ‘cure’ that works consistently, over time, and for all people who stutter.
- Although there is no simple cure for stuttering, people who stutter can learn to speak more easily, feel better about themselves and their speaking ability, and communicate more effectively.”
Harrington won’t soon be forgotten on the public stage
Because Harrington spoke so eloquently and with such passion, the teen has an opportunity to seize his sudden stardom and segue it into a career in any direction he wants. With the enthusiasm of democratic voters behind him, Harrington could enter the political arena, become an activist, or even use his fame to launch a social media career. Right now, Harrington remains a well-spoken and brilliant young man who has a bright future ahead.