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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | ||||
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| VIDEO REMARKS: | TOMMY G. THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES |
| PLACE: | The "Justice Without Borders" Conference, Racine, Wisconsin |
| DATE: | May 4, 2002 |
Hello everyone, I'm Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services. I regret that I'm not able to be with you for today, but I want you to know how very honored I am to have been chosen to receive the first International Justice Award from Justice Without Borders.
Let me begin by thanking my friend Nick Chiarkas of the Wisconsin Public Defender's office, which launched Justice Without Borders in 1998 and has done so much over the years to bring hope to men and women accused of crime who lack legal counsel.
Nick has been such a great leader in the pursuit of equal justice under the law, both in our great home state of Wisconsin and throughout the international community.
In 1988, I appointed Nick to his post as Wisconsin State Public Defender. In 1999, I recommended to the National Governor's Association that Nick be named "National Public Executive of the Year." He is simply outstanding, and I know you share that belief with me.
Let me also welcome the participants of this summit who have traveled from around the world to join in this important event. Each of you has taken a public stand for justice for everyone, whether that person is prominent and wealthy ... or unknown and poor.
Many of you have taken that stand at personal cost, and I honor you for your courage and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of human justice.
My great hero, Abraham Lincoln, said, and I quote, "(The) 'central idea' in our political public opinion, at the beginning was ... 'the equality of men'." President Lincoln affirmed the main principle of America's Declaration of Independence -- that "all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights," the foremost of which is the right to life.
That principle -- equality under law based on our equality before God -- has been the guiding principle of American jurisprudence for more than two centuries. It is always been the shining star of our country's approach to legal justice. And now, each of you here is displaying your own commitment to that same principle, which is universal for all people at all times.
No one is below the law. No one is above or outside of it. The ground beneath the bar of justice is level for everyone. While I was governor of the great state of Wisconsin, I had to make some tough calls about everything from judicial nominations to the sentencing of convicts, but I never lost sight of the fact that everyone -- everyone -- deserved the same treatment, regardless of income ... education ... social standing ... race ... or religion.
I know each of you shares these bedrock beliefs, which is why receiving this award is so very meaningful to me. Thank you so very much for selecting me to receive the first International Justice Award, which I will treasure always.
I hope your conference is a tremendous success. May God bless you all.