A letter to Sarah Sez readers from my Dad

Ray Diel
Jasper County Clerk
204 West Washington, Suite 2
Newton, Il 62448
618-783-3124 phone
618-783-4137 fax
raydiel1@yahoo.com

February 15, 2008
A letter to readers of Sarah Sez.

As all of you faithful readers of my daughter Sarah’s blog know, I am resigning from the Jasper County Clerk’s office after over 21 years in office. Reflecting over those years I have came to some conclusions that I hope Sarah will allow me to share with you.

I was 34 years old when I took office as County Clerk. For 5 years prior to that, I was a member of the Jasper County Board. For 4 years prior to that I was Supervisor of Grove Township. So I was 25 or 26 years old when I started in public office. Where am I going with this, you may wonder. My point to all of you is this. I have been involved and you need to be. Start being involved. In your Government, Township, City, County, State, Federal. In your School District. Run for office. Volunteer for office. Become familiar with your candidates positions and help the candidates that you believe in. You may not realize this but it is now your turn. You cannot set back and let "someone else" do this. It is your job. This is now your world. My generation is passing. Yours is taking over. History will judge how me and my peers did (I think we sucked) and history will also judge how you do.

I have watched with such great interest the campaign of Barack Obama. It has reminded me so much of the campaign of Robert F. Kennedy back when I was a young man. He had also raised the hopes and expectations of my generation and when he was shot down it seemed that the hopes of my generation somehow died with him. We did not become involved. We let that famous "someone else" run our Country. Look where that has gotten us. Now comes Obama. The message that Obama brings of hope and change resonates with young, old, black, white, male and female, democrat and republican. Why is that??? Not because he is a Democrat. Not because he is black. Not because he is such a "shrewd" politician. I think it is because we as a nation are SICK AND TIRED OF THE STATUS QUO OF BUSINESS AS USUAL BEING CONDUCTED BY THE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AND WE WANT THIS CHANGED!!! He now embodies that change. My generation made this mess but yours must fix it. You are the agents that can make that change but you MUST get involved, you MUST take ownership of this country and you MUST tell us old guys that now is your time and you MUST do it. It is now your turn. Good luck.

Ray Diel, plain old citizen after March 1, 2008