Parkinson eloquently spoke about the values of the Democratic party, in the spirit of Senator Kennedy's 1980 Democratic National Convention speech, which he specifically quoted. Kennedy (and Parkinson) emphasized the Democratic party's outreach to minorities, to women, to equality, and to new ideas. The ideals of the Democratic party are the opposite of xenophobia.

Honda seemed particularly impressed with his fellow Asian-American politician State Representative Raj Goyle, a candidate for Congress from Wichita. Honda spent time in a Japanese Internment Camp in Colorado as a youngster in World War II. His only crime? Being a Japanese American during World War II.

The Japanese Internment is one of the saddest chapters in American history, close behind slavery, "the Trail of Tears," and Jim Crow. But Honda is a forgiving man who loves his country, and it shows. America is far from perfect, but the promise of the American Dream outweighs our mistakes. Together, yellow, brown, black or white, we can achieve such great things. Xenophobia achieves nothing.

It seemed appropriate that Congressman Honda, who represents California's Silicon Valley in Congress, was present Friday when State Senator Tom Holland, a successful information technology businessman, rolled out his gubernatorial campaign. Holland came out fighting as a businessman, someone who could help Kansas grow by bringing EVERYONE to the table.

Ideas, Innovation, Entrepreneurship. Those ideals seem to be a common thread between Honda and Holland. "Silicon Valley is not just a place, but a state of mind," Honda said. I shook hands with the Congressman, and mentioned Great Bend, but didn't have the time to tell him what I really wanted to tell him.

I wanted to tell him that Silicon Valley was made possible by Great Bend native Jack Kilby, the inventor of the microchip. Working for Texas Instruments, Kilby figured out how to deal with "the tyranny of numbers," the fact that computers required too many wires, and were thus too big and bulky.

Kilby's idea to ditch the wires and place all of the electronic components on a piece of semi-conductor material (e.g., silicon) was the breakthrough that made miniaturized electronics possible. Kilby came up with the idea first. Get rid of the wires. And the power of an idea changed the world.

And today Silicon Valley seems to be looking at a new problem: how to manufacture small batteries that can generate enough power to ditch the wires - this time, the power lines that hang over your house and business. Last Sunday on "Sixty Minutes" another Asian-American, K.R. Sridhar, introduced "Bloom Energy Corp.," a Silicon Valley business that makes small batteries that generate huge amounts of electricity. If successful, homes and businesses could generate their own electricity, and get off the grid.

The feeling I got from hearing Parkinson's speech about equality and ideas and the American Dream, the American melting pot, reminded me that we will succeed or fail together, people of all races and nationalities, sharing ideas, being innovative, becoming entrepreneurs.

I think Kansas had far more to offer than Congressman Honda was expecting. And if we embrace the Democratic ideals of inclusion, equality, and the value of ideas, Kansas can play a major role in America's newest challenge: alternative energy.

Kansas is going through a difficult time. An inclusive "All hands on deck" approach seems like the formula for Kansas to move forward. Xenophobia will never move Kansas forward. Honda, Parkinson, Goyle, Holland and other Kansas Democrats seem to know the way forward.