Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was my hero. She had such integrity, and she was such a great woman and amazing public official. I feel so blessed that I had the good fortune of meeting her this year and telling her to her face that she was my hero. She was the only member of the U.S. House of Representatives to rise to challenge the electoral vote of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. In 2000, she was not joined by a single Senator, but in 2004, she was joined by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer of California. This resulted in a full debate outlining voter irregularities and how it impacted the outcome of the 2004 presidential election. She was a champion of civil and equal rights and she had the courage to stand up in support of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and lead her Ohio delegation in the 2008 Democratic Presidential Election. Even though I am not from Ohio, she made a difference in my life and lives of people across this land. I was so profoundly affected by her courage and by her leadership. I am so deeply saddened by her passing; But every time I look at this photo, I feel energized...energized to care, and to keep working to make a positive difference in the world. She was truly my hero.-- And her spirit lives on! Jeri
