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A warrior for the people - *all* of us

By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman

DETROIT – Talking with Amos Williams, for even a moment, it's impossible to mistake his passion. Turn the conversation to civil rights and his soft voice becomes strong, even strident. Ask about conservatives and Williams' eyes flash as he describes "the right-wing noise machine" and the "lies" they tell.
However, even in the midst of that passion, the Democratic attorney general candidate remains calm and steady. No matter how emotional the topic, the pitch and volume of his voice remain even. And while he gestures frequently in conversation, those gestures remain restrained. If anything, Williams gives the impression of a man who knows both how to pick his battles and how to stay the course in them.
And that's a good thing. Because while passion and commitment are important, a steady hand and a clear head are important in a leader.
Now in a political fight for what he says is the future of the state of Michigan, Williams is no stranger to staying calm under fire. A decorated Vietnam War veteran, Williams lost his right hand to cancer in the midst of a 17-year career in the Detroit Police Department. And in the middle of a semester of night school law classes.
As Williams said, sometimes Murphy's Law is a very real thing.
But Murphy didn't beat Williams. After his hand was amputated Williams left the hospital early, without medical permission. Shortly afterward, he wrote his law school exams – with his left hand.
"I told the doctor that I was born two things – poor and black – and that I was only going to die one of them," Williams said.
After law school, Williams didn't follow the path into the prosecutor's office that one might expect from a former cop, but instead became a respected civil rights attorney.
Williams told BTL that he doesn't see his campaign for the attorney general's office as a stepping stone to the governor's or any other elected official's seat. Rather, he wants to use the power of the office to protect the people he feels have been neglected by current Attorney General Mike Cox. Further, Williams feels that he has the experience, dedication and courage necessary not only to win the race, but to return the office of attorney general to the purpose it was intended for.
On Sept. 22, he told BTL why.

BTL: Why are you running for Attorney General?

Williams: I got to a point last year where I'd had enough. I'm watching the country go the wrong way. I'm watching the gridlock that's happening in our government because of the right-wing agenda that's losing its steam now. And if all the things I believe in – equality under law, the land of the free and the home of the brave, and equal justice before the law – the things that I went to war to fight for, the things I fought for wearing a badge, the things I fought for 20 years as a lawyer, I said, "If I'm going to lose them, I'm going to lose them over my dead body."
I've always been inclined that way … That's why I joined the Army. I came back and I joined the police department because we were in a war post-riots in Detroit. Our police dept. was going to be an important part of putting our community back together and I joined and I did that. I spent 20 years … fighting the odds and going uphill as a trial lawyer. So I'm conditioned to be a warrior. A protector of those who cannot protect themselves.
I want to take that office back from the special interests and their front guy, Mr. Cox, and return it to the service of the people of the state because that's who needs it and that's who deserves it.

BTL: Do you see any similarities between the black civil rights movement and the LGBT civil rights movement? Do you see the communities as allies or do you agree with some conservative black leaders who say the two are separate movements?

Williams: No. I see them as the same movement. I really do. Civil rights and human rights under our system of laws are supposed to be the same. All you need to invoke those civil protections is to be a United States citizen. You qualify. And I don't think we should be divvying up who has equal protection under the laws and who doesn't.
I've been questioned a number of times on whether or not I think that there should be special legislation to include the gay and lesbian community – I don't think so, because I don't think it's necessary. I think you're already included.

BTL: What personal experiences and relationships have contributed to your pro-equality views?

Williams: I think it happened because I grew up a minority in this country and … my parents at home taught me that everyone is the same. I think they were referring to racial things when they were speaking to me as I was growing up, but I take that as sort of a universal proposition.
I do not believe people should be able to foist their own personal view about other people's lifestyles through the mechanism of law. And so when I say everyone's equal before the law, I mean everyone.
I don't know that there have been any special things that have caused me to be pro-gay/lesbian rights. I don't see any real legitimate basis to be against them. These people are my brothers, they're our sisters, they're our relatives, they're our neighbors, they're the same as we are and, you know, we should not be intruding on their lifestyles.

BTL: Mike Cox, the current attorney general, has issued an opinion stating that the anti-marriage 2004 Proposal 2 means that public employers, including the state's universities, can't continue to offer domestic partner benefits. He's fought to have his opinion prevail in National Pride at Work v. Granholm to the extent that Gov. Jennifer Granholm had to retain separate council to support her pro-domestic partner benefits position. If elected how would you handle this case?

Williams: When elected, I intend to make sure that the governor doesn't have to hire special counsel to advance the view that she is advancing. Mike Cox is not advancing the interests of the people of the state of Michigan through this advance of his homophobic agenda. That's what he's doing – he should have never interjected his own personal feelings into this controversy. I don't think it's right. I think he's advancing the agenda of the right wing, the extreme right wing, and I think that it does nothing more than continue to divide the citizens of the state of Michigan and try to pit the various interests groups against each other.
We've been divided for so long, black and white, old and young, male and female, gays and straights, and the fact of the matter is we're all Gods children, all Michigan residents and we're all citizens of the United States.

BTL: How do you think your pro-equality and pro-choice views will play in Grand Rapids and other more conservative areas of the state?

Williams: One of the things that I promote, and that I believe in most, is that we're all entitled to our separate views. My views on this may be important to them and they need to know that I am not ashamed of my views in respect to gay and lesbian rights or with respect to racial equality or gender equality or any of those things. I believe in equality. And if people in more conservative communities want to take that single issue and judge me, then they will. They have the absolute right to do so. I would say that my background and my experience in protecting and advancing the rights of everyone – gay, lesbian, straight, old, young, black, white – should be a more weighty issue than my opinion on one issue. [But] if I have to be prejudiced against some segment of Michigan society to get their vote, then I won't get their vote.

BTL: What perspective does your legal background as a defense and civil rights attorney offer in shaping your views on the attorney general's office, and how is that different from the perspective Mike Cox brings to the job as a former prosecutor?

Williams: Well, I think that the perspective that I have as an advocate for civil rights is what we need in the office of the attorney general. That's his job. Criminal prosecution is one part of his job. Another, larger part of his job is ensuring the civil rights, the human rights, of the citizens of Michigan.
Part of his job is protecting our environment, protecting our consumers … protecting, protecting, protecting needs to be the key word that comes out when you talk about the attorney general. He is the people's lawyer. He is supposed to be an advocate for them in all things. Mr. Cox has been a prosecutor, and that's fine. It's a rather narrow occupation, [and] I don't think he was all that impressive in doing it. But be that as it may, he has to pose that part of his career as "crime fighting." And it's not really crime fighting. Has he fought any crime? Not really. When people think of crime fighting they think of people who hang it out on the line every day to protect them on the street, at street level.
You know, what he did was he took a package of work from real crime fighters and prosecuted in it in court. Somebody's got to do this. It's a noble profession … but it's not crime fighting, OK?
The fact of the matter is that the attorney general's office can't prosecute every case in the state anyway. The attorney general's office is supposed to provide leadership, to provide direction, to provide assistance where it's requested and asked for.

BTL: During the recent Michigan Democratic state convention, the party called for the repeal of 2004's Proposal 2 that barred marriage for same-sex couples. Do you support that platform plank, and if so, why?

Williams: I'm opposed to barring marriage and civil unions – whatever is necessary to get it done correctly, I believe it ought to be done. I will support any legislation that does that. I don't have a problem with that.

BTL: What role do you feel Michigan's attorney general can or should play in advancing LGBT civil rights?

Williams: You say "LGBT civil rights," [but] is that any different from anybody else's civil rights? I tell you – that's my focus. I don't see a different set of rights for the gay and lesbian community. You have the same rights that everybody else has. There are no different set of rights for them. There's not a different, separate Constitution for them! They're God's children, they're United States citizens, they're residents of Michigan. They're subject to our laws, both the proscriptions and the rights.

BTL: In your opinion what are the most important criteria that Michigan voters ought to use in "hiring" an attorney general, and how do you meet those criteria?

Williams: Look at what the job requires. Look at what it calls for. Look at the candidates that are vying for the position, and in this case you have a candidate who has a record that I think is quite dismal. Don't listen to me tell you what his record is – you scrutinize his record yourself. You look at his qualifications versus my qualifications. You look at his accomplishments versus my accomplishments. You look at the people that he is representing in his role, misusing that office, versus what I've done for 40 years. And you make the decision. And if you want to choose Michael Cox – fine, that means you are absolutely happy with what your government, your lawyer has done for you over the last 4 years.
And if that's so – fine – you probably don't want a guy like me, who believes that his job is to be proactive. His job is to stop these sharp business practices that prey on seniors. His job is to shut down the consumer abuse. His job is to ask hard questions about why it is that you should be paying different prices for the same drug in the same city and seniors get caught in the middle choosing between food and medicine. The attorney general is supposed to look into that. Proactively.

BTL: What do you think the attorney general's role ought to be in dealing with allegations of signature collection fraud? Fraud allegations were made during the 2004 campaign and again about the 2006 Proposal 2. It seems like these things end up on the ballot anyway and no investigations are done. What would you do differently??

Williams: You have a report of a crime, do you not? Fraud is a crime! Any good policeman will tell you – you got the information that indicates that there is a crime – you go check it out. You gather the pertinent facts. And if you're sure that a crime has been committed, then you grab somebody and you prosecute them for it. That's what the attorney general should be doing. A federal judge has already looked at the evidence and said there's massive evidence of voter fraud and deception, and the attorney has abdicated his responsibility when he doesn't even investigate and prosecute it. Because [Proposal 2's supporters] are his natural constituents. He's not going after them. But that's what your attorney general needs to do. And the people need to look at the people who are there to fulfill that office and make their best judgment on who they think will benefit them the most when sitting in the chair of the people's lawyer.

BTL: As Michigan's attorney general you wouldn't have any input into the military's "Don't ask, don't tell," policy. But given that you're a decorated veteran, how do you feel about that policy?

Williams: Well, actually, I did have couple of gay members in the service with me during Vietnam. And – guess what? – there's nobody I'd rather have in a foxhole than a couple of these guys that I remember. There's nobody I would want watching my back better than those guys … and not because they were gay. Because they were good solidiers, whether they were gay or not!

Reach OUT and help OUT

To learn more about Amos Williams' campaign for attorney general, visit http://www.amoswilliams4.ag.com.

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