When the community approached me about the possibility of serving as its representative, I initially resisted the call. I found so many reasons to say no. I reminded them about the perception many of us have about public servants.

Despite the many calls, I was touched by an eight year old child from the Naranja Housing projects. This eight year old boy told me that I was his role model. He informed me that he had been labeled emotionally handicapped while in public schools, that his mom worked two jobs, and that he his dad was in prison for a substantial amount of time. He stated his mom will be so proud when he becomes a lawyer. His hopes and dreams were simple: move mom into better housing and save enough money for her retirement.

As I stood there in awe, my life flashed back to the years when I lost family members to murder and prison, lived in the housing projects, labeled emotionally handicapped, an ex-offender, and constantly being reminded that I was a lost cause.

I remembered similarly situated stories of those who did not have the opportunity to overcome such struggles and painful experiences. I remembered the throat clearing odds of a person not only surviving such a tough ordeal, but actually achieving success. I remembered.

But as much as I remembered, a crucial fact remained: I had little experience on paper in politics. My choices in life had driven me to serve the community as a prosecutor for five years, a college

professor at the local college, an author of my memoir, a national motivational speaker who traveled around the nation telling my story, a husband to a lovely wife, and father of three beautiful children. Without saying more, I had always seen myself as a great American striving through pain and glory to conquer the American dream through serving other people’s dreams. And yes, there was plenty of pain experienced.

But the question to serve or not was still unanswered. If I chose not to run, who will represent the similarly situated individuals who needed someone to advocate on their behalf? What would happen to the dreams of so many little boys and girls who saw me as their role model? What would happen to the future of those who seek hope when despair steers them square in the face? What about those who simply needed a second chance to do what they did not have the opportunity to do the first time around?

If I chose to run, how would my family deal with the idea of having our personal life in the media? Would I be able to handle the pressure of maintaining a family and serving the needs of the constituents? Will a decision to run cause people to question my judgment?

Against the backdrop of so many questions and the possibilities that people will question my past as one that disqualifies me from being a great advocate for the people of this great District, I have decided to stand tall and proudly accept the call to represent the great constituents of District 118. My reasons are simple. First, I am a proud Floridian who has roots in the South, North, East, and the West. I have gay and straight friends. My cell phone holds numbers and emails of prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and corporate executives, ex-offenders, unemployed family and friends from all races and ethnicities, victims of crimes, and seniors who have sacrificed so much for my generation. I am an attorney, educator, and writer who appreciate people no matter regardless of their circumstances. My past and current experiences uniquely qualify me to represent the great men and women of District 118. For that reason, I say, “We Are One!”

• Better pay for teachers and better learning environments for our kids.
• Better jobs, rights, and services for non-violent ex-offenders who have proven that they deserve a second chance.
• Better transportation, health care, and tax breaks for our seniors, small business and working members of our communities.