"Heretic, Rebel, a Thing to Flout" - THOMAS JEFFERSON DINNER--A Night Out With The Democrats

At the third annual Thomas Jefferson Dinner of the Democratic Party of McHenry County, more than two hundred folks, almost half of them from organized labor, crowded the ball room of the Prairie Lodge at Sun City in Huntley on Saturday Night.

The room was buzzing with excitement.  And I must admit that I was a little excited myself.  I was on tap to receive the Robert McGarry Award for Community Service.  The Murfin contingent filled up two tables right up front.  Not only was my wife, Kathy Brady-Murfin, in attendance, but my daughters Heather Pearson and Maureen Buchanan were on hand with their families.  So were Evan Buchanan’s parents Laurie and Len, “Grandma” Pat Sorensen, and Libby Pappalardo of the McHenry County Peace Group and her husband Brian.  My former sister in law and dear friend Arlene Brennen was there with her husband Michael. A whole contingent of Wobblies came up from Chicago including Fellow Workers Judy Freeeman, Mike Hargis, Kathy Taylor, and Hannah Frish.  These folks surprised me with another gift I will treasure, an IWW belt buckle.

Here are some photos from the evening.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White kicked off the evening with remarks.  He made a special effort for all the candidates present to get photos with him to use in their publicity.  His advice to them:  “Use my name any way you like to help you and ask for permission later.”  White had to rush off to another event, but took time for everyone who wanted to shake his hand.

                                                 

McHenry County Democratic Party Chair Kathy Bergan Schmidt, was mistress of ceremonies.
                                

Congresswoman Melissa Bean was on hand telling the audience how frightened suburban Republicans in Congress are as they watch once reliable districts slip into the Democratic column. Bean has also been on the road for Barack Obama’s  Presidential Campaign.

                                                   
Sean McGarry, son of the late, beloved Party Chair Bob McGarry reminisced about his father and paid tribute to his mother Lois as he introduced the presentation of the Robert McGarry Award for Community Service.

                                

It was an overwhelming honor to receive the award.  I managed to get through my acceptance speech.  The prepared remarks, which were more or less what I actually said, are posted at the end of this entry.

Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is a popular figure in McHenry County.  Last summer he made a point of marching with the Party in several local parades.  Giannoulias is also a high profile supporter of his good friend Senator Obama.

                                                   
 

Paula Yensen, Lake-in-the-Hills Turstee, candidate for District 2 McHenry County Board, and major domo of the Jefferson Dinner introduced the Thomas Jefferson Award for Lifetime Achievement.  Latter in the evening former Party Chair Patrick Quimet surprised her with a dozen roses in recognition her work on the dinner and the audience rose in a standing ovation.

                                                

Former Illinois AFL-CIO President Margaret Blackshere rose to accept the Thomas Jefferson Award.  Her rise from kindergarten teacher to leadership of the state labor  body is legendary.  She recounted ticking items off of her personal “Bucket List” since retiring last year.  She told inspiring stories of defying gun toting guards in Indonesia by singing Solidarity Forever  to young women workers barred from receiving her visit to their company housing  and aiding an injured girl in Cambodia.  But her biggest “bucket list” item this year is “Getting Barack Obama elected President.!”                   

The following is, more or less, what I said in my acceptance remarks.

This is an honor in so many ways.  I am so glad to be part of this celebration honoring a personal hero, Thomas Jefferson whose ringing words have been a major inspiration to me and whose flawed personal life reminds me of how difficult it can be to live up to our loftiest aims.

It is great to be here on a night that is so much a celebration of labor movement and our mutual dedication to the rights and welfare of working people.  I am humbled to be honored the same evening as Margaret Blackshere.  By the way, Margaret, we both are former Union officers.  You led the thousands of members of the ALF-CIO in Illinois.  At the age of 23 I was General Secretary Treasurer of the Industrial Workers of the World and literally sat in Big Bill Heywood’s old chair, the nominal leader of maybe 2000 member world wide.  Some of my oldest friends from my Wobbly days are in attendance.  It may be safe for them to share a few stories.  I believe the statue of limitations has run out.

It is humbling to receive an award in the name of Bob McGarry.  Not only was he a good friend—he was a friend to every one he met—but he was a personal mentor who dared bring me on as his vice chair at a time some in the Party fretted that I was a wild eyed radical.

I am also happy to see folks I have worked with over the years as I have tried to be of service to the causes of peace, justice, and equality in McHenry County.  Any thing that I might have accomplished has only been made possible by the hard work and sacrifice of so many as we worked together at the Congregational Unitarian Church, with the Interfaith Council for Social Justice and Diversity Day, and in the McHenry County Peace Group.

Of course my family has been patient with me.  They were often cheated from my full attention.  They got used to me being gone for meetings or finding me at the computer at 3 AM.  Special thanks to my wife, Kathy Brady Murfin; my daughters Heather Pearson and Maureen Buchanan who are here tonight with their families.

I was a stranger in McHenry County, lonesome and at a loss as to how to renew the activism that had been the center of my adult life when I responded to a little want ad placed by then Democratic Party Chair Richard Short for precinct committeemen.  Since then I have served under chairs Monty Yeats, Frank McClatchy, Bob McGarry, John Bartmann, Pat Ouimett, Tom Cynor, and Kathy Bergan Schmidt.  I even spent a couple of months in the chair myself.  That’s better than 18 years.  I realize I am receiving this award mostly for having hung around so long.

But I appreciate it more than I can say.