by Kathy Groob, Publisher ElectWomen Magazine

Some women feel the call to public service because of a specific issue.  Very few are called to service because of a life or death matter.  But that is exactly what drew Rosemary Palmer in the political arena.  Rosemary’s son, Lance Corporal Edward “Augie” Schroeder was killed in Iraq in August 2005, just five short months after his arrival in the war zone.  Lance Corporal Schroeder was serving in the Marine Reserves.  He was 23 years old when he died.

Rosemary wanted to tell the story of their son and to speak out for change and to bring the troops home from the war zone in Iraq. With her husband, Paul Schroeder, she co-founded Families of the Fallen for Change, a nonpartisan, non-profit organization that has sought a responsible end to the Iraq War.  “We were trying to make people see through the face of one of the fallen, what it’s like for families to suffer the greatest loss,” said Rosemary.

Recognizing that the fate of the Iraq war was in the hands of Congress, Rosemary filed and ran in the Democratic primary for the seat held by Dennis Kucinich who was running for the presidency at the time.  Kucinich withdrew from the presidential race and returned to his congressional seat and Rosemary lost in the primary.

But she was not deterred. The economy and jobs issues were hitting close to home and causing concern for the communities in her area of Ohio, Rosemary determined that she could do a better job serving in the Ohio House of Representatives.  As a former educator and journalist, Rosemary has a gift for communication and wants to be a strong voice for women and for families.  She has entered the race for the Ohio House of Representatives, 16th District.

“Women have been in the background for so long; there are good competent women who must step up and run themselves,” said Palmer. “We need to work on opening doors for women to hold office, not just be in the support role.”

For information or to contribute to Rosemary’s campaign, visit: http://www.rosemarypalmer.com/.