Events & Appearances

 

MEMORIAL DAY SPEECH

More than a million American service members have died in the wars and conflicts this nation has fought since the first colonial soldiers took up arms in 1775 to fight for independence. Each person who died during those conflicts was a loved one cherished by family and friends. Each was a loss to the community and the nation. Today, soldiers are giving their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan for the ideals we cherish. And today we honor them and all those that came before them.

 

For decades, Memorial Day was a day in our nation when stores closed and communities gathered together for a day of parades and other celebrations with a patriotic theme. Memorial Day meant ceremonies at cemeteries around the country, speeches honoring those who gave their lives, the laying of wreaths, the playing of Taps. In some places, these ceremonies continue, as we see here. Your presence at this event helps commemorate the true meaning of Memorial Day. You honor our fallen comrades. You honor the soldiers who today are risking their lives to defend our cherished freedoms. You understand that on Memorial Day we honor the ideals and values those soldiers stood for and died defending.

 

Sadly, many Americans have lost this connection with their history. For a growing percentage of the American people, Memorial Day has come to mean simply a three-day weekend or a major shopping day. Families might still gather for picnics, but for many of them, the patriotic core - the spirit of remembrance - is absent. But make no mistake. patriotism and a sense of service and duty is very much alive for the families who have sons and daughters in the military, serving overseas, serving in harm’s way, risking their lives as we meet here.


You are doing your part. You are making a difference by being here today. You have not forgotten the sacrifices of our soldiers. These are troubled times for our returning veterans who have sacrificed so much. We can do more, much more to honor them. The U.S. Veteran’s Administration reports that there are 107,000 veterans homeless on any given night.

 

In Illinois, veterans represent ten percent of all homeless individuals. While young veterans returning from service face a daunting unemployment rate of 21.1 percent. Some returning veterans face job discrimination by employers who fear they may have mental problems caused by fighting overseas. Understaffing at the state’s veterans homes is also a mounting problem. That’s just some of the problems facing some of the veterans of the wars in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq. Some veterans have been transformed from military force to “invisible force,” largely unseen, largely ignored, largely neglected. We cannot allow them to go unseen and unheard. We must honor and help them in every way that we can.

 

Many serving in Iraq today are truly citizen soldiers, members of National Guard units from across the nation. They and their families are sacrificing so much. Many soldiers are serving the second and even third term in the Middle East. That is much to ask, but our brave soldiers have done their duty. What is it that inspires and enables these ordinary citizens to rise to the challenge of battle, to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in service to their country? What is it that motivates them to respond and contribute wherever and whenever called upon to do so?

The answer is values. Our country is grounded in these core values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.

 

These values made this country strong and will keep this nation strong. Listen to these words by Charles M. Province: "It is the Soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us Freedom of the Press. It is the Soldier, not the poet, Who has given us Freedom of Speech. It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us the Freedom to demonstrate. It is the Soldier, not the lawyer, Who has given us the right to a fair trial. And it is the Soldier--who salutes the flag, Who serves the flag, and Whose coffin is draped by the flag-- Who allows the protester to burn the flag."

 

Please join me in a moment of silence as we all remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I ask that you please continue to make a difference with your words and actions.

Thank you for coming.

 

Sue Rezin Attends Republican National Committee Summit in Washington, D.C.

Morris…Republican candidate for State Representative of the 75th District Sue Rezin joined 350 Republican women from across the nation to attend the 2010 Republican National Committee (RNC) Summit in Washington, D.C. last week.

 

“I was honored to represent Illinois at the 2010 RNC summit,” Rezin said. “To be in our nation’s capitol, working one-on-one with female candidates for public office and meeting Republican leaders in Congress was a remarkable learning experience.”

 

Rezin continued, “The fiscal crisis in Illinois is echoed across the nation. The time is now for an overhaul of state government. Taxpayers must come first, wasteful spending must stop and elected officials must become accountable for their inaction in Springfield.”

 

The summit featured prominent Republican elected officials, media personalities and policy experts as well as hands-on training and interactive workshops. Honored speakers included House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Republican Whip Congressman Eric Canter (R-VA), Congresswoman Cathy McMorris (R-WA) and RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

 

Sue Rezin and her husband, Dr. Keith Rezin, reside in Morris where they have raised their four children. For the past fifteen years, Sue has owned and managed a small, family real estate business. Sue is Vice President of the Morris Hospital Foundation, and serves on the Board of Directors for We Care Grundy County and Community Foundation of Greater Grundy County.