The Democratic National Convention kicked off in Denver this week at the Pepsi Center. Here is a slideshow of what NewWest.Net correspondents are seeing in and around the convention. Click here for more coverage from Denver.

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America remains the land of opportunity, said Montana's lone African-American delegate, 26-year-old Anthony Jackson of Helena moments before Sen. Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president at Investco Field in Denver.

Craning his neck to see the packed stadium far above his seat on the floor near the stage, Jackson said, "This place is incredible. This is unreal."

This summer I needed a paying gig so I hooked a summer job giving history tours and driving a red trolley. All I needed to get started with the ding, ding, ding and ching, ching, ching, was a commercial driver's license, or CDL.

“This whole thing has gotten a lot harder since 9/11,” my driving test contractor said. “I guess they think that someone might take a bus, fill it with explosives and drive it into the capitol building."

I'd never thought of the little red trolley as a danger to society but, with so many waiting periods, I can see why the government might worry.

It would be faster and easier to get a machine gun than a CDL. No waiting period there.