An open letter to Senator Menendez:
There is a quiet storm rising. It is not rebellion or recalling but rather of a simple yet powerful question. Will the population of Hudson County ignore the service of a man who has done a magnificent job? And will our highest Hispanic Leader stand for the dismissal of a great local leader. This moment cannot and should not be simply about politics. Leadership according to an author by the name of Dr. Myles Munroe is defined as, “the capacity to influence others through inspiration, motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.”
President Lincoln believed in freedom and led the nation through the darkest of times. President Harry Truman faced Stalin and stood his ground while fighting a bloody War. Today, our President’s desire to improve the lives of so many is certainly worth of being called inspirational. Congressman Gutierrez comes to mind with his selfless work in defense of immigrants. But, I do not have to go to Chicago to find a leader whose very life inspires. Senator Menendez you are also an inspiration.
You have worked your entire adult life to improve the lives of others around you. Certainly not your grandparents, perhaps not even your parents, imagined that you would one day sit where you now sit. You are a proud Hispanic man who fought for everything you have earned. You look and lead towards the future while still engaging the past. You have not forgotten where you are from. All of this is certainly inspirational.
It is respectfully that I come to you make a request and to speak for a generation of young leaders right here in Hudson County. Sheriff Juan Perez has done an honorable job as our Sheriff. He has spent his adult life protecting the greatest resource on the planet: people. He has been both accessible and in touch with the needs of all people in our country. Had he done a reckless job, I as a Hispanic male would not support him. Yet no one has been able to say that he has failed at the purpose for which he was elected. It would seem logical, that if an Official serves as distinguished and honorably as our Sheriff has, then he should have the continued support and trust of all of those he has served including from the political powers that be. This cannot be about race or politics.
In this season we desperately need elected that can forget party lines, color and affluence. I conclude Senator, with these words by Daniel O’Connell, “Nothing can be politically correct that is morally wrong.”
Please support Sheriff Juan Perez, like you, he has certainly earned it. Please respond with the same leadership and wisdom that you have displayed in the past. It is this leadership that is most needed now.
Respectfully,
Hilario Nunez Jr.
Community Activist