Scott Summers

Illinois Green Party Candidate for U.S. Congress, 16th District

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NEWS

Saturday, April 19th

Great news! Scott's officially on the November ballot!

Follow Scott's blog: http://www.SummersTimes.com

Saturday, September 22nd

Scott formally announced his candidacy today at the Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza in Rockford. WTVO-Channel 17 in Rockford covered the event. See the videos and the text of Scott's remarks below:

Scott delivers his speech at the Peace Plaza

Scott is interviewed by WTVO-Channel 17 News Rockford and discusses Iraq and his program for microcapitalism

"Peace. Peace among the nations. Peace in our communities. Peace in our homes. Peace in our hearts. Peace among us all. It's my fervent quest for peace that leads me to this place and to this moment.

I announce today my candidacy for the United States Congress as a member of the Green Party.

America – your America, my America – is not at peace. It is instead mired in a contemptible war that is causing unspeakable agony for millions. We spill the blood of our sons and daughters. We squander our treasure.

It's time to end our occupation of Iraq and bring our troops home.

It's time for contrition. And it's time for healing.

But it's not just Iraq. Earnestly, bravely, my heart brimming with hope, I say unto you: we must end all wars.

Peace begins with us. You and me. Each of us. All of us. Here at this very place.

I'm not a man of faith in any traditional religious sense. But I know wisdom when I see it.

Over one hundred generations ago, the Old Testament foretold a glorious time: 'And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; neither shall they learn war any more. Nation shall not lift sword against nation.'

I'm fifty-eight years old now. Sadly I say that for me, the hope of seeing that time has almost completely slipped away.

But I have two sons. And I desperately want this world to be a better place for them.

So I begin, with with the fervent hope that my sons -- they and all the children of the world -- will take up our task, and finish it. 'Neither shall they learn war anymore.'

The toil before us is enormous. But my spirit is calm. My resolve is unwavering. The children will yet be at peace. It is our duty – our duty -- to start them on their way.

Peace begets justice. Peace begets dignity. Peace will set us free. And from peace will flow prosperity – good jobs, good schools, good health care. Without a predicate of peace, none of these are possible.

I close with the words of Lincoln: 'With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.' "

Thursday, September 17th

Join Scott on Saturday, Sept. 22 for his formal announcement! Here's the press release:

GREENS FIELD A “FRESH START” CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS McHenry County, IL – Green Party candidate Scott Summers will announce his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives at a 1:30 p.m. press conference on Saturday, September 22, 2007. The event will take place at the Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza in northeastern Rockford. (The Plaza is just southeast of the intersection of Perryville Road and Riverside Boulevard.) Summers, an attorney and community college trustee from rural Harvard, will face Republican incumbent Donald Manzullo and the eventual winner of the Democratic primary for the 16th Congressional seat. The district covers greater Rockford and far northwestern Illinois. “The nation demands bold thinking and smart solutions,” Summers says. “It's time for a fresh start.” Summers' platform includes an expedited military withdrawal from Iraq, coupled with a massive aid program for displaced civilians and refugees and redoubled efforts to provide health care and employment opportunities for war veterans and their families. Scott promotes common-sense fiscal and trade policies and reconfigured health care and education systems. “We need to put people first,” he says. “The key to economic prosperity is a skilled and healthy workforce.” His “microcapitalism” project will help start and grow local businesses. “Home-grown jobs won't be outsourced,” Summers asserts. Scott advocates for personal responsibility. “The turn-around work I do in Washington will merely set the tone,” he says. “Sustained societal change means that every American gets involved in little ways every day.”

In the meantime --
Help get Scott on the ballot! Download and circulate the petition!

This is Scott's “Campaign Website 1.0”. It will be expanded in the near future to include summaries of his views on the issues. Watch, too, for information on opportunities to volunteer and to donate.