VT. Attorney General
My name will appear on the November ballot as a candidate for State Attorney General. I am the mother of one and the grandmother of two. In the 1970’s I founded an organization, Justice for Children. I have spent much time in courtrooms and have had a front row seat to observe how the legal system works.
I am a member of Veterans for Peace, Chapter 88. I am a writer and many of my articles have been published on the Internet and can be accessed by googling my name. Some of my views about the legal system are contained in an article titled “A Courtroom Speech” and can be read online.
I have lived in Bennington for more than 20 years. I am one of the Bennington Twelve. We were arrested in a peaceful protest of the war on March 20, 2003, which was my 66th birthday. Just for the record, my Act of Conscience consisted of standing in silence, with my head bowed, while holding a sign.
I am a realist and recognize the odds against any third party candidate but believe that support of these candidates is important so that the Party can maintain major party status.
My global view includes high respect for the law. The most important qualification for the office of Attorney General is a deep appreciation for Justice for all…young and old, rich and poor.
There are some serious questions about how the AG office sometimes relates to citizens in Vermont. Some suggestions for improving the system would include changing the culture in the Attorney General’s Office. A strict code of ethics is called for. I believe that all citizens are entitled to respect, truth, and justice. In order to facilitate this, an online blog site should be set up as a place where citizens can exchange information when they have a problem with the State. For those without computers a toll-free phone line should be set up.
It is the AG office that is the gateway to justice, not only in criminal matters but also in civil cases. I refer to the civil case of Tateosian v Vermont (Bennington Banner April 15, 2005). I believe that the Tateosians were quoted in the Rutland Herald as saying that they were appalled at the way that the State treated them and that no citizen should ever have to go through what they did. How many other cases are there like that? Every citizen is at risk. Many people believe that “it” can’t happen to them—until it does.
How many citizens have had disputes with the government about a highway going through their dining room, or an airport runway going through their yard? How many have had problems with toxins in the workplace?
There are lingering questions about the shooting in the Brattleboro church. Robert Woodward was shot to death by the police. I fail to see the logic of using lethal force against someone because he is contemplating suicide and holding a small knife to his own head. Many believe that Woody and his family never received justice.
We, Vermonters, need a blog site and a phone hotline so that our voices can be heard.
For more information I can be contacted on the phone at 802-447-0868. My e-mail address is dissent@sover.net.
I ask only that each voter vote his/her conscience on Election Day.
Rosemarie Jackowski