© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

My Sister Got It Right

Five years ago, my sister Dori died suddenly from a stroke. She and I rarely agreed on anything — she was a Cubs fan, I am a Sox fan. In the presidential elections, we usually cancelled out each other’s votes.

However, she once confided in me that she had quit supporting George W. Bush after the Hurricane Katrina debacle. As a lawyer, my sister, when confronted with facts, could come up with some surprising turnabouts.

Sometimes, I wonder what my sister would think about the political scene nowadays. But I think I can make an educated guess, based on her legal career.

One of the last things she did as a public defender was to find a shelter for a former client who had nowhere to go. She gave each and every client 100%, regardless of their background or circumstances. In fact, many nights she slept only a few hours, coping with a heavy caseload.

She was a Republican with a drive to serve the most underserved part of the population.

The last time I saw her, she expressed her support for gay marriage. No doubt, she had examined the facts and had come to this conclusion.

In these divisive times, two polar sides often refuse to meet in the middle. Compassion, allied with facts, is often left in the dust. But my sister managed to combine both. And I miss her every day.

I’m Lori Drummond-Cherniwchan, and that’s my perspective.