This is the most momentous presidential
election in the nation’s history. It is, as Gen.
Colin Powell, said, a “transformational” election,
one that will change America.
Voters have a choice to change it for the better, or to interrupt change and continue along the same ruinous path that has put this great country in serious economic difficulty, mired in two wars dependent upon foreign oil and deeply split upon racial, social and ideological lines.
For the Black community, and, we think, the general community, there is only one choice, Sen. Barack Hussein Obama.
Before the accusations fly that an endorsement of Obama is based strictly upon race, we feel that Obama is best for many reasons… his grasp of the issues, his temperament, his intelligence, his willingness to listen to other viewpoints and even alter his own if he is presented with a better idea.
And yes, race is a factor. An Obama presidency heralds to the world that the United States of America has come a long way, and that will help repair this nation’s standing around the world. The son of a Black Kenyan father and a white Kansan mother, Obama is the herald of this multicultural society.
The last eight years of gunship diplomacy have marginalized the world’s greatest power, showing that power does not correspond to influence. The world is watching the United States on Nov. 4.
Barack Hussein Obama (and we don’t feel that using his middle name is a ploy to conjure up ghosts of Islamic terrorists because there truly is nothing wrong with being Islamic in this society), presents the best opportunity for this nation to “live out the true meaning of its creed.” This historic vote is not just an opportunity to elect a Black man to the highest office of the land, the most powerful office in the world, but it is an opportunity to elect the best man for the job. But while Obama has certainly become the reason for this political season, voters should not forget that the Nov. 4 ballot is full of qualified candidates who deserve their vote.
U.S. Senate
Sen. Dick Durbin has been an able senator,
a good compliment to Sen. Barack Obama and
someone who respects the Black community.
Obama's Senate tenure has probably helped
make Sen. Durbin that much better, and he
deserves to be returned for another six years.
U.S. House of Representatives
Our three Black congressmen all deserve to
be returned to Washington. Bobby Rush in the
1st District has proven to be an articulate
voice for his district. Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr.
(D-2nd) has shown his mettle over the past 13
years and speaks not only for his district but
speaks well for all of Illinois. Cong. Danny
Davis (D-7th) is one of the most respected
members of Congress, and his is a voice that
is listened to in his district, in Springfield and
in the halls of the U.S. Capitol.
State Senate
The retirement of Senate President Emil
Jones Jr. deprives this area of the clout,
expertise and seniority of a powerful public
servant. But there are several prominent senators
running for re-election who can use a
strong turnout and strong vote to gain back
some of that stature in Springfield. Votes
count, and sometimes leadership hinges on
how many votes can be delivered.
We urge a vote for Sen. Rickey R. Hendon
in the 5th District over Republican Jason
Allen Braswell.
Hendon has shown that he is a doer, not a talker, and he'd rather work behind the scenes to get legislation passed rather than grandstand for the cameras. In the 14th District, Emil Jones III is running to fill his father's seat but certainly not his footsteps. Jones III will have to experience much on-the-job training, but he is still preferable to Republican Ray Wardingley. Also running for re-election to the state Senate are Sens. Matie Hunter in the 3rd District, the Rev. James Meeks in the 15th District and Donne Trotter in the 18th District. They are all running unopposed, but again, we urge a vote for them.
State House
There are very few contested seats in Black
districts in the State House. In the 27th
District, we endorse William “Will” Burns.
Burns is no stranger to the State House, having
served on the staffs of Emil Jones and
Barack Obama. He will make a seamless transition
from advisor to legislator. We also urge
votes for LaShawn K. Ford (8th District),
Annazette R. Collins (10th District), Monique
Davis (27th District), Will Davis (30th
District), Mary Flowers (32nd District) and
Connie Howard (34th District).
Cook County
Dorothy Brown has stood out as Clerk of
the Circuit Court. She has helped to modernize
the courts and has improved that office
immensely. She deserves to return to the post,
which controls one of the largest workforces
in Cook County.
Recorder of Deeds Eugene Moore beat back
the challenge of Alderman Ed Smith in the primary,
and he deserves a vote to return to the position.
Appellate Court
Often lost in the shuffle of elections are our
judges. They cannot campaign on issues, so
they can merely recite their accomplishments
on the bench. But sometimes that is enough to
merit a vote. While many judicial ratings are
floating around, from this bar association and
that lawyer's group, perhaps the best barometer
of how well a judge is performing should
not come from lawyers. In any court case, one
side wins, and another loses, and the losing
lawyer can hardly be called objective. The
question is whether or not the judge applies
the law fairly, and dispenses justice not just
pleases counsel. We want to see diversity in
our courts so that minority defendants are not
the only minorities in the courtroom.
To that end, we heartily endorse the candidacy of Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman for Judge of the Appellate Court (Burke vacancy). Judge Coleman boasts 23 years of legal experience in a wide range of areas and would be a great addition to the appellate court. We also endorse Judge Marilyn F. Johnson for Judge of the Circuit Court. She is the first Black and first woman Division Chief in the history of the City of Chicago Law Department. She is also the former Chief Attorney–Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Housing Authority.
We especially urge retention of the judges on the Circuit Court. The “yes” vote will make sure that the circuit court retains some diversity and keep qualified minority jurists on the bench. Of particular note is Judge Evelyn Clay, who reportedly received negative ratings from some bar associations because she stood up and refused to settle for the continued seating of all-white juries in Cook County. There are 1.2 million Black people in this county and nearly as many Hispanics, but routinely juries are majority white. That doesn't speak of justice and fairness, and it makes a mockery of the ideal of “a jury of their peers.”
We also endorse for retention judges Sharon Johnson Coleman, Vanessa A. Hopkins, Valerie Turner, Noreen Love, Cassandra Lewis, Lewis Nixon, Robert Gordon. We also urge a “no” vote on a state constitutional convention. We feel that there are ample tools available to “fix” the Constitution. When changes need to be made, amendments are the best way to go. Calling a convention is like taking a hacksaw to the Constitution when a scalpel, or at most, a large knife would do the job. A convention could not be limited to any one subject, and we worry about the chicanery that could result when the Constitution is subjected to partisan bickering and interest groups that don’t have the interest of the entire state at heart. We also urge a “no” vote on the ballot initiative that would have the legislature require certain kinds of ballots for all elections. While it looks like a way to guarantee fairness, we have seen those kinds of initiatives actually limit the vote in other states.
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Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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