“Would you fight for someone you don’t even know?”

That question was posed by a candidate with a national platform and millions responded, “yes.” That is an easy response when it costs you nothing.

Would you fight for someone you don’t even know… if doing so could cost you everything? What if it meant risking personal safety… would you do it then?

Activism is easy when you are standing with a group. It is easy when you are in the spotlight collecting accolades and prestige. It is very easy when you can gather influence, garner credit, and even material wealth. But what if, buy speaking up, you knew that the ire of many would be directed at you; would you still speak up?

Some people have to make that choice. When they do, they reap the whirlwind for that effort and it may not be until years later — if ever- they are proven right. No one will remember them as a whistle blower or a ‘truth teller’. In fact, we now prosecute whistle blowers.

I hope you will remember this for what I write next.

This is a story of racism, collusion, corruption and a massive coverup. This is ultimately, I believe, a story of criminal negligence. I did not seek out the story, but in a strange twist of irony, the persons responsible sought me out.

I was not involved in this state race but knew of it. I myself was not a volunteer, nor a campaign staffer, and far too busy with other campaigns, national media, and other work. But it was an early morning breakfast meeting that piqued my interest.

An incumbent state representative, Rita Mayfield, drove quite a long distance to meet with me. This meeting was brokered by her associate, himself an activist and lobbyist. I am no one that these should be concerned with me and I live so far out of district.

It was at this long and delightfully pleasant meeting I understood why she had come. She asked me to stay out of her race for reelection.

“I am always going to side with the Progressive,” I told her. In response, she immediately began a litany of qualifications she believed were progressive enticements, including prior support for Sanders and such….all things I have heard from politicians before they are about to do something decidedly unprogressive. The rest of the meeting was pleasant, but slightly strained. She even spoke of reintroducing Medicare for All in the State House and asked if I would consult on that.

I asked her cohort to sit for an interview because I believed his advocacy on behalf of ex-felons and employment privacy rights was too important. He agreed to consider it.

I would later file a police report against this gentleman for credible threats made during a racial slur-laced rant over the phone.

What I found from other progressive organizers was troubling as they too had been courted through party acquaintances, with the same allure of introducing legislation for Medicare for All, promises of political appointments, favors to help others find employment, and other niceties.

All of these may have been sincere, but the timing was all wrong.

Now I was very interested in this race which, on the surface, seemed like nothing more than the standard incumbent versus progressive. I was so wrong.

I give full credit to reporter Sharon Lerner at The Intercept for her two excellent stories on the toxins pouring into the community and the blatant racism that revealed itself in the response. However, even a highly decorated journalist like Lerner missed part of this story as did CBS news reporters focused as they were on Willowbrook.

I thank all of these for their kind assistance in helping tell the rest of the story, the one alluded to, but untouchable by Chicago reporters.

What follows is the rest of that story and for disclosure, I am now a volunteer for the Democratic challenger, Diana Burdette, because I believe this district is deserving of a fighting chance.