Political conventions are peak opportunities for Democrats and Republicans to broadcast where their parties stand on the issues they feel are most important to America.

Every day on The Kojo Nnamdi Show, we learn a little about the issues that are most important to our audience. The calls Kojo takes from listeners are like snapshots of what’s shaping the D.C. region on any given day.

Last week, I took a trip back in time and went through our archives to find listener calls we received during our coverage of the 2012 conventions. Here’s what Washingtonians cared about four years ago.

Gay rights & Religion

“It isn’t about [being] religious. It’s about having equal rights and I just think people forget the history.” – Paula in Bladensburg, Md.

Disillusionment With Politics

“I just want to mention besides the Democrat and the Republican about the foreign policy, there is a system in our country dictate some policy.” – Moez in Hyattsville, Md.

“My question is what — where does the intense resistance to anything government come from some people?” – David in Fairfax, Va.

Economy

“I think we need to remember just how it felt four years ago right before Barack Obama got elected and just how dangerous things were and just how horribly things were melting down.” Anne in Brookville, Md.

“I mean, people are really afraid for the stability of their jobs. I think they — even the people who are employed feel like they’re still really on the edge, you know? – Garrison in Annapolis, Md.

Immigration

“A lot of Latinos work in the construction industry, and they understand that it takes one day to destroy a house and a year to build one. And that’s what President Bush and the Republicans did to our country. They destroyed it. And it will take many years and a lot of hard work, which I’m glad to have the Latinos here helping us rebuild our country. That’s just the reality of it.” – Greg in Lorton, Va.

Education

“There’s a large disconnection between education in the social system. Parents really are the key. We are only touching the tip of the iceberg of the parent factor.” – DeeDee in Washington, D.C.

“I think we should hold the students, especially the high school students, accountable. There has to be a mechanism for failure and failing students and making them feel that there has to be some sort of accountability.” – Yuself in Olney, Md.

“It’s really hard for a veteran to come out of the out-of-state tuition cost.” – Stephanie in Fairfax, Va.

Abortion

“Their platform that tries to make a human embryo a person essentially means that if the embryo is a person, then the mother has no rights at all.” – Freda in Vienna, Md.