Co-Chair John Nonna Speaks About Service and Justice
June 25, 2012
Posted by: Alex Voetsch
Last Thursday, NYDLC Co-Chair John Nonna was honored by the Westchester County Democratic Committee. He spoke about being committed to public service and justice. Click below to read his full speech which is both inspiring for all who believe in democracy and is a call to action this fall.
I AM HONORED TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD IN THE
COMPANY OF MY FORMER COLLEAGUES, JOSE ALVARADO,
BILL BURTON AND MARTY ROGOWSKY, IN THE COMPANY
OF A GREAT ATTORNEY GENERAL WHOM I HAVE HAD
THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING AND WORKING WITH WHEN
HE WAS A STATE SENATOR. I THANK OUR ESTEEMED
CHAIR, REGGIE LAFAYETTE AND HIS COLLEAGUES GARY
STRACUZZI AND TAIJAN JONES FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK IN
PUTTING TOGETHER THIS EVENT.
I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR NOT ONLY BEING HERE
TONIGHT, BUT FOR ALL OF THE WORK YOU DO ON BEHALF
OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND OUR WESTCHESTER
COMMUNITY. IN REFLECTING UPON MY TIME IN PUBLIC
SERVICE, AS A COUNTY LEGISLATOR, MAYOR, TRUSTEE
AND VILLAGE JUSTICE, THE CAREERS OF MY CO-HONOREES
AND THE COMMITMENT THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE AS
ELECTED OFFICIALS, DISTRICT LEADERS COMMUNITY
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LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS I AM REMINDED OF THE WORDS
OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY:
“THE EDUCATED CITIZEN HAS AN OBLIGATION TO SERVE
THE PUBLIC. HE OR SHE CAN BE A PRECINCT WORKER
OR PRESIDENT. THEY MAY GIVE THEIR TALENTS AT
THE COURTHOUSE, THE STATE HOUSE OR THE WHITE
HOUSE. THEY MAY BE A CIVIL SERVANT OR A SENATOR,
A CANDIDATE OR A CAMPAIGN WORKER. A WINNER OR
A LOSER. BUT THEY MUST BE A PARTICIPANT AND NOT A
SPECTATOR.”
ALL OF US HERE TONIGHT HAVE MET PRESDENT
KENNEDY’S CHALLENGE IN OUR OWN WAY. HIS
CHALLENGE IS RELEVANT NOW MORE THAN EVER AS WE
FIND THE CORE VALUES OF THIS NATION THREATENED
BY FORCES OF INTOLERANCE WHO SEEK TO DIVIDE OUR
NATION AND POLARIZE IT.
WE HAVE TO WORK HARD TO ENSURE THE PRESIDENT’S
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RE-ELECTION. THE ABYSMAL DECISION OF THE SUPREME
COURT IN THE CITIZENS UNITED CASE HAS MADE IT
POSSIBLE FOR MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF FUNDS TO BE
DEDICATED TOWARD HIS DEFEAT. PRESIDENT OBAMA
HAS TRIED TO WORK WITH REPUBLICANS AND HAS BEEN
REBUFFED. IN HIS INAUGURAL SPEECH PRESIDENT OBAMA
MADE A COMMENT ABOUT OUR ADVERSARIES ABROAD
THAT IS ACTUALLY APPLICABLE TO OUR ADVERSARIES
HERE AT HOME: “WE WILL EXTEND A HAND IF YOU ARE
WILLING TO UNCLENCH YOUR FIST.” WELL HE EXTENDED
HIS HAND TO REACH COMPROMISE ON MANY ISSUES – THE
ECONOMY, HEALTHCARE, TO NAME A FEW – AND WAS MET
WITH A CLENCHED FIST.
AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE TO SUPPORT OUR
CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES AND STATE LEGISLATIVE
CANDIDATES. BECAUSE WE ALSO FACE THE CHALLENGE
NEXT YEAR OF TAKING BACK OUR COUNTY FROM AN
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ADMINISTRATION THAT SEEKS TO DIVIDE THE CITIZENS
OF OUR DIVERSE COUNTY. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I
A WHITE MAN, WAS THE VICTIM OF RASCIST POLITICS
BECAUSE I SUPPORTED A HOUSING SETTLMENT THAT NOT
ONLY SAVED THE COUNTY FROM FINANCIAL DISASTER BUT
SOUGHT TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES MORE INCLUSIVE. I
WAS ALSO ATTACKED FOR SUPPORTING PRESIDENT OBAMA.
SO, WHAT’S AT STAKE? WHAT ARE THOSE VALUES
WE ARE FIGHTING FOR? THEY ARE RIGHT THERE IN
THE CONSTITUTION THAT OUR OPPONENTS MISSTATE,
MISUSE, MISINTREPRET SO MUCH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO
LOOK VERY FAR INTO THAT DOCUMENT – JUST READ THE
PREAMBLE: “WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNTED STATES IN
ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION, ESTABLSIH
JUSTICE, INSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUALITY, PROVIDE FOR
THE COMMON DEFENSE, PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE
AND SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY TO OUSEVLES
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AND OUR POSTERITY DO ORDAIN AND ESTABLISH THIS
CONSTIUTTION.”
RIGHT UP FRONT, BEFORE EVERYTHING ELSE, TWO
SIMPLE WORDS EXPRESS THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL VALUE
WE MUST FIGHT FOR, THESE WORDS ARE: “ESTABLISH
JUSTICE”. JUSTICE MEANS SOCIAL JUSTICE, ECONOMIC
JUSTICE, RACIAL JUSTICE GENDER JUSTICE. THESE ARE THE
VALUES WE ARE FIGHTING FOR IN THIS YEAR’S ELECTION,
NEXT YEAR’S ELECTION AND EVERY ELECTION. I KNOW
WORKING TOGETHER WE WILL MEET THIS CHALLENGE.
THANK YOU.
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