First, let me say that I have waited an unusually long time to post a new blog so that the one I wrote in honor of my Great Aunt would not be replaced before everyone had a chance to read it. If you missed it, please check it out.
That being said, an update on the campaign is probably in order. There hasn't been much of anything going on in this town that I have not attended. I am certainly working hard to get my name out and reach as many voters as I can.
On Saturday the 15th, I attended the Virginia Avenue Missionary Baptist Church for the 10th Annual Brotherhood Brunch. The people of this church were so nice. They were welcoming and inclusive and I really did have a great time. I appreciate Bobby Cordery for inviting me to attend. I was the only candidate there and I got the chance to meet some great folks and make strong contacts. The breakfast was wonderful too, so it was a winning situation all the way around.
Since then I have been to just about every local party club meeting and some union meetings. I have been trying very hard to contact the local unions, trying to get an opportunity to meet their members. Unfortunately, there are bigger forces at play in this election and I and other candidates have been shut out from attending these meetings. With a few exceptions, all the union endorsements that have been made in this race have been made without any candidate other than the one endorsed being allowed to address the group. Therefore, be sure to take that into consideration when you hear someone say they have an endorsement from one of these groups. What is an endorsement worth if all the candidates are not going to be considered before the decision is made?
I do want to acknowledge the groups that did allow me to speak to them. Those groups were the UAW, the JCTA, the Iron Workers, and the Building & Trades. I also have upcoming meetings with some of the other groups and I hope they will be listening with open minds and fair heads. There are some really rich and powerful people pulling the strings in this race, strong arming many of the local organizations into supporting a certain candidate. I understand that sometimes pressure and influence can be overwhelming, but union members above all should understand the importance of standing up to these types of pressures. If their founding fathers hadn't had the guts to stand up to power, privilege, money and intimidation, there would be no unions for me to blog about now. However, I am not angry or upset with any of these groups. I will go to them when I make it through this primary and ask for their support all over again.
This brings me to my next ranting which is the sad and unethical behavior that is being exhibited in this race. I never expected that candidates seeking such an important position, where people's lives are in their hands, would act any way other than with the utmost respect, strength of character and dignity. I must say that most of the candidates have acted in exactly that manner. To those colleagues of mine, thank you for being such high quality people. You have certainly earned my respect through this process. We all know who among us has not acted that way and we must work even harder, together, to make sure that these tactics do not work. We owe it to our community, the Justice System and our profession to make sure such behavior leads to failure.
When I decided to run in this campaign a very wise politician said to me, "Now you will find out who your friends are." Always the naive and endlessly loyal person, I thought that I had nothing to worry about because my friends would return the same loyalty to me that I had shown to them. Well Mr. Politician, you were right! I am not afraid to admit that I was wrong. I have worked on quite a few campaigns in my day. Some I even gave up any life of my own to help with. Those people all promised to help me if I ever needed anything. There has not been one person I helped get elected who has stepped up to help me in this race. Frankly, they haven't even offered an explanation or responded to any request I have made for help. There have been people I considered long time friends who are actively fund-raising for other people; colleagues who say they are giving money to another candidate because they fear "retribution" from the bench if they don't. This means that the person who can't be trusted to be fair and do the right thing is not only being rewarded, but also re-enforced. What a backward and frankly cowardly way of thinking.
It is disappointing and eye-opening. People keep telling me that is just politics and although I understand that, it doesn't make it right. There is all kinds of false information, undue influence and inappropriate behavior going on. Every one who has seen it knows it and is amazed by it. I only hope that doing the wrong thing backfires on those who have chosen to adopt that as their strategy for winning this race. I may not be the richest, most powerful, or even the most well- connected candidate in this campaign. But, at the end of the day, even if I don't win, I will be able to look myself in the face and know that I never stooped to that level. Those of you who know me know that I believe firmly that the right thing to do and the hard thing to do are usually the same thing. I will continue to do the right thing, even when it is hard or there is an easier avenue that could be taken. That is a promise I make to myself and every person who loves and supports me, because I know they would expect no less from me.
I am urging anyone who is not fully informed on this race to research the candidates. There are some good ones. There are also some candidates that scare me, as a prosecutor. There are candidates in this race who have never stepped foot in District Court and others who have never had a trial and barely have had a license long enough to qualify to run (which is 2 years). The thought of prosecuting a case in front of a judge or jury when the judge presiding has never tried a case before is scary. There are candidates who have tons of experience, but it is all based on defending people who victimize and terrorize the members of this community. As someone who has been in the trenches in District Court, helping victims of crime, drying children's and mothers' tears, and fighting for the voiceless in our community, I am not only frightened by the lack of respect for this court but also offended that some think they can do this job with no training or experience in the workings of District Court. I hope that the citizens of this community will be given better than that, they certainly deserve better.
I am the only candidate trained to use all the computer systems that judges are required to use. That may not sound important, but it is. It means that the minute I am elected, I will be ready to sit at the bench and do my job, without wasting any taxpayer time or money. I am the best person for this job. I am fair, compassionate and I know the system in District Court. I need every one to help me get elected by spreading the word to vote for me. I am the first name on the ballot, a great position to be in. So please, tell every friend you have to do right by this community and vote for me on May 20th.
I have so many great people supporting me. Besides my family, there are my good friends, Jill, Kim, Sonny, Jeff, Kyle, Michelle, Travis, and the rest who are putting up yard signs like crazy and telling everyone they meet to vote for me. I really appreciate that hard work. I hope they all know that I will always be there to support them should they ever need my help. I love you and appreciate you all and I will never forget the sacrifices of time and energy that you make to help me pursue my dream. Thanks to everyone who attended and helped to make the fundraiser on the 22nd not only fun, but also a success. Thank you to Celebration Catering (my mom, Aunt Joyce and Uncle Ronnie own and operate it) for donating the food. It was really good, as always. Finally, thank you to an awesome rock band, Grindstone, for cutting us a break. Rob, I hope you know how much it means that you did this for me. You are a good friend.
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