NAACP Candidate Forum Comments

February 20, 2025 I Tom O’Shaughnessy I Circuit Judge I 5th Judicial Circuit of Illinois 

Public service is serious, difficult, and demanding work, often laden with heavy burdens.  It may be a bit naïve, but I hold a confidence that those elected or appointed to public office have committed to bring certain ethical and moral values both to their personal lives and workplaces.  And I trust they have committed to the principles that public service shapes us; that it is a substantial part of who we are; that being a good officeholder inevitably makes us a better person because, at its best, public service promotes and sustains our cardinal virtues -- prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice.  It is not enough that every now and then we should do some good in the world.  Service itself must be character building.

The institutions of our governments -- that is, the officeholders and agencies -- do not exist as ends in and of themselves, but rather as means to protect the rights of individuals and promote the interests of a free, civil, and just society.  We enter roles of leadership with honest and genuine intentions and purposes, but must also do so with full knowledge that our attempts are so often imperfect -- that the weight of righteousness rests on the shoulders of imperfect men and women -- its battles waged with words, the weapons of imperfect minds.  And these imperfections plainly demonstrate that the foundation of service to others is good faith -- that while service is a human endeavor, it is an endeavor nonetheless guided by His hand, moving His servants to do the right things and reach the right results.

We know this great and historic City, our home, is a special place.  We work hard.  We say what we mean.  We mean what we say.  We value faith, devotion to family and community, freedom, independence, personal and fiscal responsibility, quiet charity, and the dignity of every person.  And, here, a handshake still matters. When we shake hands, it’s more than a formality or social convention; it is a recognition of personal dignity and a promise to do one’s best.

And, here, we believe every American, regardless of circumstance, should have the opportunity to enjoy vigorous lives grounded primarily and centrally by these same values -- to hold a good job, work hard, and raise a family in a pleasant, satisfying, and safe community. 

But we know there are a lot of people out there who need help in so many ways.  We see them walking among us every day in the happenings and occurrences of our ordinary lives.  Their lives are more often than not turned upside down, full of worries and uncertainties.  As community leaders, we must never forget these are our neighbors in need of support, guidance, and compassion.  And we must never forget that ours is the task of stretching out to mend the part of the world within our reach; to not give up during gales which challenge our communities. 

In his First Inaugural Address, George Washington charged: The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty [is] justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people. 

Arguably the most meaningful words of our Constitutions are the first three, “We, the People.”  Every public oath of office includes an allegiance to the Constitutions that first fashioned, and now govern, our Nation and State.  Since the Constitutions originated from those in whom the ultimate sovereignty resides, oaths are promises of fidelity and service to the people.  Those elected or appointed to public office are of the people, chosen by the people to ensure for our fellow citizens the freedoms guaranteed by those Constitutions -- to preserve and to spread, by example and action, Washington’s sacred fire of liberty.

Today, nationwide, there is a deep sense of division, disappointment, and bitterness on the part of many of our citizens with a political system they feel has failed, and continues to fail them.  To many of our neighbors, the social compact between the people and their leaders -- the trust that leadership is always mindful of the people’s best interests and will deliver for them -- is broken.  To many, these feelings lay bare the entrenched inequalities across our societies, reveal just how fragile the networks of our interconnected world have become, and remind us of how little we actually trust our leaders.

These concerns of our fellow citizens are real.  They matter.  Their calls are resounding.  To diminish, deny, or dismiss their apprehensions and fears only weaken our politics and strengthen our divisions. 

Tackling the challenges facing our communities is not easy.  Worthwhile things seldom are.  The people rightfully are watching, scrutinizing our actions and our omissions.  The people are thirsty for quality governance.  They want to be reminded of that distinctly American sentiment that theirs is a government that works for them, a government that reflects their values, a government that is them.  They want leaders who stand up and make government stand out. 

To do so, we must first connect with people on the ground, on their issues, at their speed, so everyone knows they are listened to, rather than talked at.  When we do that; when we allow accessibility and transparency, public trust is built, safeguarded, and sustained.  Achieving these ends requires leaders with toughness, civility, a commitment to our core values, and the ability to accept responsibility for controversial and often unpopular decisions.  

We must be flexible, adaptive, and empirical.  That means taking risks, but it also means having the humility to know when to change course.  Franklin Roosevelt recognized that no one can predict at the start of an initiative what its end result will be.  What is needed is both ambition in scope and honesty in assessment.  He said new policies demand bold persistent experimentation.  It is common sense to take a method and try it.  If it fails, admit it frankly, and try another.  In these ways real progress happens.

It is an honor and privilege to be called to public office -- to demonstrate the good that government can do; to reaffirm the nobility of service; to strive every day to use the powers the people have vested in us to make clear, demonstrable, and measurable improvements to their lives; to look forward, but with a respect for precedents; a belief in the wisdom and the sanctity of those who came before us; to decide issues with sincerity, strength of purpose, and deliberate thought; to encourage and respect the free expression of opinions by others; to trust the judgment of our constituents and colleagues; to work together in an open and common manner, providing constancy and stability to our communities; but most importantly to do right without fear or favor -- to be inclined to hear the Lord’s gentle whisper and think humbly of ourselves as we labor for courage, forbearance, and wisdom; and to always remember the opportunity to lead lives of purpose is to know that by your efforts others will stand taller.

Thank you, again, and best of luck to all of the candidates.