2nd District Candidate Anthony W. Williams Explains His Problem With the Peotone Plan

On Monday, Jan. 28, I met the Rev. Anthony W. Williams at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Robbins.

Williams is in a unique position, going into this election. He has run for the 2nd District seat every election year since 2004. During the interview he spoke very little about past elections but said the district knows him well because of them. Williams dove right into his key issues, possibly because he's been explaining them to people for so long. 

Visit Anthony W. Williams's candidate profile on Patch to watch the extended video of the interview.

Key Issues

Pension and Social Security

Williams named pension and social security as two of his biggest concerns for the 2nd District. He said they should not be taken away or diminished because people have earned them. 

Violence

Williams has made violence a large part of his platform in several elections. He wants to pass legislation that calls for more Congressional hearing to discuss the violence. Williams said he believes in changing the mindset in young people by addressing the "culture of violence" as it is perpetuated by the media and society at large. He compared bans on smoking to a ban on violence. 

Mental Health

Williams said most of the violence in the United States relates to mental health. He said he supports requiring psychological evaluations when anyone wants to purchase a gun. 

Noteworthy Quotes

"Public pensions are under attack, and I propose legislation to be passed to protect pensions. Pensions are sacred. Social security should not be interfered with. It's not an entitlement program. People have earned the right for their social security dollars." - On issues not being discussed enough going into this election.

"As a Lutheran pastor, in order to pastor my denomination I had to take a psychological exam. So what's the issue with that as it pertains to a person obtaining a gun? And maybe our elected officials need to take psychologicals too." - On having people take psychological exams before obtaining a gun

The Takeaway

Williams has a clear stance on many of the key topics, from violence to jobs to Peotone. His name has appeared on the ballot several times over the years and could stand out to longtime 2nd District residents.

On the flip side, Williams has lost several elections and that could be a sign that he isn't what the voters are looking for.

What do you think? With Jesse Jackson Jr. out of the way, is this the year for Anthony W. Williams to finally win? Tell us in the comments!

NEXT: The Rev. Larry D. Pickens explains the importance of listening and learning.

Return to our intro page to learn more about this series and see the full list of candidates.

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