* I tagged the Illinois State Police in a reply when I saw this tweet yesterday and sent the link to the secretary of state’s office as an FYI…
* From Secretary of State Jesse White…
Rich,
Thanks for bringing to my attention the hateful social media post by an Illinois resident who used the term “lynching” in his criticism of me and my office. Having attended college and played professional baseball in the south in the 1950s, I experienced the ugliness of racism firsthand and know how deeply it cuts. I’m saddened that in 2020 there are still people out there who knowingly or unknowingly use historically despicable terms like “lynching” to fuel the hate and divisiveness that are plaguing our country today. Frankly, I question whether the term “lynching” would have been used were I not African American.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was my minister while I attended Alabama State College and I learned from him not to dislike anyone because of their race, creed or color. I have lived my life adhering to this philosophy. I proudly served our country as a member of the military three times, worked as an educator and continue to help guide our young people as the founder of the Jesse White Tumbling Team. And to this day I continue to teach our children what Dr. King taught me many years ago.
I’ve been in elective office long enough to know that with the territory comes criticism. Since taking office we have made significant strides to streamline and improve customer services and office operations. Certainly the COVID-19 pandemic has posed unique challenges to an office of our size, but we are providing services while also ensuring that safety precautions are in place to protect the public and employees. While we are doing our best under these challenging circumstances, I recognize not everyone will be satisfied. I do not have a problem with that.
However, I do have a problem with people who make disparaging and hateful comments intended to inflict pain in a racially provocative way. This needs to stop.
I’m especially troubled because there appears to be a resurgence of this type of hateful rhetoric in this country. To be clear, it is never acceptable to use any type of hateful language designed to hurt each other over our real, or perceived, differences. We are in this world together—only by treating each other with respect and human dignity will we make it a better place.
Jesse White
Illinois Secretary of State
Pritzker tagged AG Raoul in his own tweet, so they were alerted to it and are also taking a look at this.
- Anonamoose - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:22 pm:
I love Jesse White.
- Ok - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:28 pm:
Maybe the AG should be taking a closer look at Freedom Luthern Cemetary Association of Ottawa, his nonprofit, in their role certifying nonprofits.
- Sonny - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:34 pm:
Take a minute and report this tweet to Twitter. This guy is a long time troll and a piece of trash and he needs a timeout.
- All this - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:36 pm:
I know things have gone downhill since Liberace died but you don’t have to take it out on Mr. White.
- It's Me - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:43 pm:
This guy should be half the man that Jesse White is.
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:46 pm:
horrible choice of words.
The lines at the SOS are worse than horrible. Should be
mandatory OT to catch up. ImO
- Jocko - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:48 pm:
==I’m not a fan of lynching but==
What a troll. I fighting the urge to type “I’m not a fan of posting someone’s home and work address but…”
- Sayitaintso - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:50 pm:
It’s always educational to see a spitball take on a battleship.
- allknowingmasterofraccoodom - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:54 pm:
Mr. White is just such a cool dude.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:56 pm:
=horrible choice of words=
Not a “choice” of words. A deliberate statement meant to inflame.
The SOS office is trying to catch up from a months long virus so maybe a bit of patience is in order.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 12:57 pm:
Mandatory overtime, good thing we got money to pay for that and a technology upgrade as well that might also speed up service.
That’s right we don’t.
Complaining about the DMV is the lowest hanging fruit there is, your DL is good until October and you can get plate stickers at a currency exchange.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 1:09 pm:
=== horrible choice of words.===
No. Those are racist remarks.
To Secretary White;
Sir, my respect and admiration for you is placed well, as you have served Illinois with great distinction, and you have lived a life of service to others.
Your remarks, all class. Wouldn’t expect anything less.
Thank you for always leading and teaching and being a role model.
Thank you for continuing to be a leader whose quiet elegance speaks louder that hateful screeches.
Oswego Willy
- Ray Batman - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 1:13 pm:
I spent the early part of the morning at the SOS facility in Decatur getting my DL renewed. I was impressed by the professional attitude of the employees and how quickly and politely they completed their tasks. Thanks to Secretary White for his articulate assessment of a very sorry and sad comment by Mr. Thorsen.
- Fly like an eagle - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 1:18 pm:
Scott Thorsen also has a blog with nude pictures of Adam Kinzinger. What is weirder, thinking the Sec. of State should be like a fast food drive through, or obsessing about Adam Kinzinger.
- Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 1:21 pm:
Am I supposed to know who this guy is?
- thoughts matter - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 1:22 pm:
Putting that in a sentence was not a choice of words, it was a deliberate racist taunt. Simply unneeded also.
As to the complaint, Jesse White cannot control who shows up at any given facility on any given day. He can’t snap his fingers and change the size or shape of the buildings immediately to hold more employees. Many of those people in line could have renewed via the internet or mail, chosen a different facility, day, or time of day. As far as I know, SOS is still the only state agency to be fully staffed in person in all the locations at this time. Those facility workers are risking exposure to the virus every day.
- Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 1:26 pm:
That’s why Jesse White is Jesse White…Graceful.
- efudd - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 1:30 pm:
Dude, please make that lynching comment in public, not from the safety of your phone sitting in your vehicle.
Preferably, make that comment around me.
Please.
- Principal Skinner - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 1:32 pm:
Mr. Thorsen plays as if he’s the biggest “conservative” provocateur in LaSalle County. I know first hand he’s nothing more than a “keyboard coward.” He had the misfortune of bumping into me in public after making despicable comments about my adopted African daughter under a Times Newspaper article on Facebook. He told me at least 5 times in minute he conceal carries and knows how to use it.
You could smell the deplorable doo doo, it stunk of fear.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 1:48 pm:
This is another reason I’m not on Facebook. People like this should be banned. But Facebook is too cowardly to do something like that. They are part of the problem in this country when they allow this sort of trash to be on their platform.
- Anyone Remember - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 1:51 pm:
Fly like an eagle -
In 1998, the last pre-9/11 election and when Jesse White won his first term, a GOP candidate said a driver’s license should only take 10 minutes. No ifs, ands, or buts. Lose the security hawks in the GOP, what remains really thinks government services should be like a fast food drive through.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 2:06 pm:
===People like this should be banned. But Facebook is===
Um, that was a tweet.
- Mr. K. - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 2:06 pm:
OMG.
Jesse White is a hero.
A hero, a remarkable man, an inspiration.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 2:09 pm:
Social media is all the same to me. I don’t use any of it for this very reason.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 2:23 pm:
I went down a rabbit hole of social media accounts. I think Scott’s use of the term lynching was deliberate and intentional, especially since he seems to have posted in favor of whoever removed a Frederick Douglas statue in NY as apparent retaliation for removing statues honoring traitors.
His whole feed and contribution to the internet is just toxic nonsense all the way down.
- Fly like an eagle - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 2:39 pm:
== a GOP candidate said a driver’s license should only take 10 minutes.==
In the ancient times, when the state of Illinois hired an adequate number of employees?
You sure know how to crush a girl’s groove. I’d rather think about Kinzinger’s buns.
- Winderweezle - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 2:46 pm:
If Jesse White would have run for gov and won instead of sos this state would be in so much of a better place.
Not only is he one of the good guys, he has done a commendable job as secretary.
Thanks for calling this fool out.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 3:01 pm:
Mr white your a class act. I too served with the 101st and with that alone you will always be my brother.
- bear 3 - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 3:22 pm:
SOS did a great job for me two weeks ago and processed me in 1hr and 15 minutes. Peple could not have been nicer for picture, eye exam and test and driving test.
- Sal - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 3:37 pm:
Jesse White is an upstanding citizen and has been a wonderful Secretary of State.
- Blue Beard - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 4:22 pm:
Nothing more can be said about the Great Jesse White, who truly is the best guy in the business. Going to the DMV is never atop of anyone’s to do list. He’s at least made it a better experience, and streamlined so many services.
Imagine if Jesse had ever been Mayor, or someone mentioned, Governor. The world would be a better choice place because of his compassion and class.
Thorson sounds like a real loser.
- SAP - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 4:43 pm:
Bravo Mr. Secretary. Four more years.
- Fixer - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 4:53 pm:
Guy was so upset he apparently deleted his whole Twitter account.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 5:28 pm:
===Guy was so upset he apparently deleted his whole Twitter account. ===
Guy threatens (or implies to threaten) to lynch a beloved icon of Illinois Politics, Government, and Baseball. Rich posts about it one one of the most watched political blogs in the state. I am guessing it wasn’t long before Scott got a telephone call from someone with a newspaper/station.
Rich appropriately deleted at least one comment here (that I saw) identifying this guy’s employer, but doxxing is still at thing on Twitter and Facebook so maybe his employer heard about it too. Based off of this guy’s public posts on Facebook, I’m guessing he’s never really thought about how others could view his comments.
- Lincoln Lad - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 5:31 pm:
Thank you Secretary White for today’s lesson on humanity, class, and wisdom. Well done, and thank you.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 5:38 pm:
Is it too early to put up a statue of Jesse White?
He’s certainly among the finest elected officials we’ve ever had in Illinois.
- FormerParatrooper - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 6:14 pm:
How can anyone think it is acceptable to make such a tweet? Where does one’s humanity hide when such ideas are expressed?
The SOS has improved greatly since Secretary White took control. Maybe no one hasn’t notice yet but there is a disease that has shut much if the world down. People had more time on their hands and decided to come out as soon as something opened creating a log jam. Maybe the tweeter is oblivious to the fact he helped create the demand and is part of the problem he complains about.
Some people’s children needed discipline.
Feet and Knees Secretary White.
- Chatham Resident - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 6:15 pm:
==Scott Thorsen also has a blog with nude pictures of Adam Kinzinger. ==
I wonder if back during the 2011 remap process, if Thorsen personally asked the Dem mapmakers that if they had to eliminate a GOP seat, to put Kinzinger and Aaron Schock together in a new 11th (or 18th) district that included LaSalle County.
(Back during the 2011 remap, there was a lot of speculation that Kinzinger and Schock would indeed be mapped together).
During the remap debate, Schock’s shirtless pics appeared on the cover of Men’s Health magazine:
https://capitolfax.com/2011/05/10/todays-poll-congressman-schocks-shirtless-pics/
- Mama - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 6:35 pm:
Jesse White learned from the best - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jul 7, 20 @ 8:32 pm:
Srsly though the lines need to go away, and yes, there is poor management at the dmvs.
- Chris - Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 4:54 pm:
The lines depend on the office. Some folks are way more efficient than others. Secretary White, you handled that beautifully.