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A family affair: Much ado has been made in recent years about the country’s child care crisis and the unequal burden women shoulder when it comes to caregiving. The Democratic Party has positioned itself as the party most concerned about the barriers women face in society.

So The Sunshine Blog was surprised to see that no apparent accommodations had been made for delegates and convention-goers who are also parents at the Democratic National Convention.

A growing number of events — and even the Olympics — have started addressing child care needs. But nope. Nada. No such effort at the DNC.

In fact, there wasn’t even any information readily available about access to rooms for breastfeeding and pumping or whether children were allowed in the United Center. (The Blog asked for such information multiple times and got no response from the DNC’s press team.)

But that didn’t stop Hawaii’s own Rep. Jeanne Kapela from taking her 9-month-old daughter with her to Chicago. And the Hawaii delegation stepped up as an extended ohana would.

Kapela said Rep. Amy Perruso was doing the most babysitting for her, but The Blog also spotted Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole — a father of three himself — skillfully rocking the infant at a Hawaii delegation breakfast so Kapela could get some much-needed sustenance. 

Divided we stand: The war between Israel and Gaza hovered like a rain cloud over the Democratic National Convention in Chicago all week, even as the party seems more united than ever and energized to defeat Donald Trump in November.

But the protests were largely sidelined for most of the convention, and Hawaii’s crew — despite having one of the largest groups of uncommitted delegates — seemed to be handling their ideological differences with more than a fair helping of aloha. 

That is until Tuesday night when it came time for the ceremonial roll call of the states.

All of us who were watching — including The Blog, who was actually there — saw Gov. Josh Green boast about how Hawaii was first in the nation to legalize abortion, to ratify an Equal Rights Amendment, to enact universal prepaid health care and to set a goal of 100% clean energy by 2045.

“And we cast six votes present and 23 votes for Kamala Harris,” the governor declared. Cue rapturous applause!

What may have been lost to viewers is that, as Green spoke, several of those “six votes present” a.k.a. uncommitted Hawaii delegates had elbowed their way into the frame. They held small signs that showed the names of people killed by the Israel Defense Forces.

The protesters include uncommitted delegate Inga Gibson, an animal rights lobbyist who complained afterward that she felt disrespected by her own party.

Just before the roll call, Gibson gave party chair Derek Turbin a heads up. Turbin, however, told The Blog that the main message from Hawaii Democrats would be the recitation of historic firsts. State Rep. Adrian Tam, who filled in for a while earlier this year as party chair, also pointed out that the party had to adhere to guidelines on unsanctioned signs. So, alas, the signs got little prominence as the cameras rolled and clicked.

One news organization that did get a shot of them was Reuters. Check out the Reuters photo of the vote: It appears that at least one of the signs was upside down.

Then check out the very same photo that went out Thursday via email from Green’s campaign: It has been cropped to cut out the signs.

It all reminded The Blog of the Hawaii delegate who raised a middle finger during the 2016 DNC that nominated Hillary Clinton for president. In the photo spread around the world, the distinct digit of Chelsea Lyons Kent can be seen sprouting just behind the heads of U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, who were apparently oblivious to what was happening.

Not giving up: The only mentions of Gaza from speakers inside the United Center broadcast across the country were along the lines of “We need a ceasefire!” and “Peace in Palestine!”

The top demand of advocates for Gaza at the DNC (besides a U.S. arms embargo of Israel, of course) was that Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassa, an American physician who volunteered at a Gaza Strip hospital during the conflict, be given an evening speaking slot. That did not happen.

The Blog hears that the news set off a half-dozen uncommitted members of Hawaii’s delegates to the DNC, especially after Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, parents of American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, had a prominent slot Wednesday night. Their son was wounded and abducted by Hamas from the music festival massacre Oct. 7, and many in the audience were moved by their plight.

In a show of protest, two of those uncommitteds, Eric Schrager and Jonathan Simonds, then decided to camp outside of the United Center’s Gate 2 after the program concluded. That’s the main entrance to the arena, and as of Thursday they were still there.