Former Attorney General Janet Reno fondly recalled her years in public service in a far-ranging retrospective she gave last night to a full audience at Kresge Auditorium.

Reno emphasized the rewards service brings in encouraging all students — regardless of their eventual goal — to go into public service, at least for a time.

“I urge all of you to consider public service at some point in your life,” she said. “I find no opportunity, no calling that can match it.”

Reno spoke of her tenure as the longest-serving attorney general since the Civil War with few regrets, accepting responsibility for her decisions ranging from Waco to the Elian Gonzalez case. She explained these milestones in her career as justified decisions based on what she considered correct at the time, and she stood by her actions.

On the Gonzalez case, she said that her decision came down to reuniting a family.

“I thought that the little boy should be with his daddy,” she said.

And she said it was difficult dealing with the wide range of opinions on the issue.

“Public service can be rough,” she noted, “but it can be as rewarding as it can be rough.”

Hesitating at times, with frequently trembling hands due to Parkinson’s Disease, Reno nonetheless spoke forcefully for over an hour.

She spoke of her career fighting discrimination against women, working for law and order and trying to improve local and national governance.

“If you see a system broken, try to fix it and don’t give up,” she said.

Reno spoke of her own history, telling how she lost her first election in 1972 and briefly touching on the 2002 Florida Gubernatorial Democratic primary, which she lost.

A fellow politician taught her to always talk straight and do the right thing.

“Don’t pussyfoot, don’t equivocate . . . and you’ll wake up the next morning feeling good about yourself,” she said.

If she went back to last year’s election, she said she would focus less on fundraising and more on grassroots campaigning. Still, she said, “I’m very glad I did it.”

At the same time, Reno spoke of broader political issues, centering on how the United States needs to do a better job investing in its future.

“We would rather wait for the crisis to occur than do something now,” she said. “Nowhere is this as clear as how we treat our children.”

Though she made few specific policy points, she called for more health care for children, a larger investment in early-childhood programs and a concerted effort to make sure every child had a home.

“Let’s start making these investments in our children,” she said.

Responding to questions from the audience, Reno addressed her disagreements with the current administration.

“It is imperative that while we defend our national security, we defend our civil liberties as well,” she said.

She noted that while she was in office, Congress finally authorized reparations for interned Japanese-Americans during World War II.

“Nothing will ever correct the mistake that was made,” she said. “Let’s do it right the first time.”

She said that if she were attorney general, she would not hold suspects incommunicado, and she would have brought Congress into the justice process more frequently.

On the subject of the war with Iraq, she spoke neither for nor against it, but instead told students to make their voices heard.

“You need to not stand by; [you need] to speak out,” she said.

Reno emphasized that while she never made decisions based on polls, she considered the people to be the best judges of policy. “Trust the people,” she said. “Most human beings want to do what’s right.”

Reno emphasized how everyone should both experience public service and participate in the electoral process.

“Something is happening to the nation when only 20 to 30 percent of people elect representatives,” she said.

But Reno focused as much on her own family as national democracy, and she concluded with a heartfelt tribute. “Remember the people that love you. They are the most important in your life.”

After the speech, freshman Luis Vertiz commented, “It was inspiring to see someone reach out to young people and speak of public service as a career.”