Truth, Justice, and the American Way

“Why do you want to be a lawyer? They are slimy, sneaky, and foul. There is nothing good about being a lawyer; they do nothing beneficial to the world or society.”

That is the typical response I get when I tell people that I am pursuing an education in law; most people wonder why someone as artistically inclined as I am would be interested in something as cold and harsh as the legal profession. It is not a woman’s game, even now in a very progressive era, and I’ve been warned that it will be a long and difficult road to getting my J.D. and passing the Bar. I’m prepared for that. I know it will not be easy to get through law school, and that the competition will be cut throat and tough, but I’m willing to face that trial, no pun intended. I know that there is very little artistic about the practice of law really, at least in the eyes of many people.

But I find something incredibly exhilarating about a closing argument and a cross examination. There’s something exciting about fighting objections and discovering the fatal flaw that unravels the opposing side’s case. And I enjoy the power trip that comes with knowing that everyone is listening to me, that it’s my show at least for that moment in time.  And there’s something rewarding about knowing that all the work and research I’ve done has been useful and important. But none of that really gets to why I want to be a lawyer.

The title of this blog is Truth, Justice, and the American Way for a reason. I want to use a law degree to make a difference.You see I haven’t quite decided what field of law I want to go into, but I’m narrowing my options. I don’t want to be a corporate attorney because I refuse to be anyone’s hired suit to be used to find the most ‘legal’ way to squeeze another penny from the average person while giving them marginal quality. I won’t do it, and you can kiss my ass if you think that’s just stupid idealism. You can bet money that those oil companies have lawyers that help them figure our how it can be legal to do what they are doing to the average citizen. And I don’t want to work in insurance law unless I’m on the policy holder’s side because I refuse to find ways to screw people out of what they are owed. I’ve been considering child advocacy because I want to work in a field that means something, and I’ve had some friends who could use a good child advocacy lawyer on their side. That’d be a rewarding career, though probably not a high paying one. I mean it would be one of the best ways to make a difference. I was told once that I would make an excellent child advocacy lawyer because I had such a good heart and strong passion.

I have a passion for Constitutional law; I guess its a nerdy thing, but I love it. And I don’t always agree with how the Supreme Court rules.  I took the ConLaw centering around civil liberties last semester, and, despite it being taught by Vile, I really liked it. I have strong beliefs when it comes to ConLaw, and I would love to argue in front of the Supreme Court some day. Some people say it is the Holy Grail of the legal profession. I’d love to fight eminent domain, and some of the garbage that I think is unconstitutional. Perhaps that eminent domain bit comes from the fact I come from a small town where family farms mean everything to people and I hate to see the government come in a take it just because they want to develop the land and make some money. I laugh maniacally when politicians’ find their houses being swept up by eminent domain.

So my third and final selection is to be a district attorney, also known as a prosecutor. I guess there’s something glamorous feeling about putting the bad guy away. I don’t know whether I’ve got what it takes to go to court and argue that a person spend a long period of time in prison, possibly decades or life in prison, but I sort of want to see justice for people like my AP English teacher Ms. Mackey, who’s daughter was brutally raped and murdered and the man who did it nearly got away with it. I want to help people who deserve justice, which may be one of the only things I’m idealistic about. I guess that may be my most idealistic aspiration, and it’s probably something I could never do.  I’m probably not cut out for that sort of thing, nor am I good enough. But I’d like to try some day. I really would.

So yeah, that’s why I want to be a lawyer and what I want to do with my law degree. Hope you enjoyed one of my few less cynical and snarky posts.

On a completely unrelated to the topic at hand note: You’ve probably noticed a sudden import of posts. Those are my writing from an old blog. I thought I would add them to this one instead of trying to keep up with two blogs.

Lest We Forget

The past is not in the past;
it lives on in everything.
Forgetting it will not erase
it’s truth, the reality.
It is who we are,
what we’ve become;
the world is the product
of everything that happens on it’s soil.
Time marches on and on,
the present is written and erased
in a constant unending cycle.
To forget our past is folly
for then it will recur.
Horrors will repeat themselves
if we do not learn to stop them.
The past is powerful and real;
remembering it makes us strong.
The past is alive within us.
Lest we forget it.

Hark, Lucky speaks…

Ok, so I’m a terrible about this blogging thing. I hate that I never update as frequently as I would like to. Every time I decide to update something happens, and I fail to do it. Part of it is that I don’t like to post short pointless blurbs because a stupid part of me wants to give my, probably non-existent, readers something with substance. So here is a somewhat rambling and somewhat cohesive attempt at updating. I promise that I will try to update more frequently. That way you won’t think I have fallen off the face of the planet in some sort of bizarre accident.

Spoony and I saw Forbidden Kingdom at the theater, and it was a really awesome movie. I’m a total freak who fails at being a girl, but I love movies like that; I’ve always loved action and fantasy and I’m not really ashamed of it. That was the last date we’ve had, much to my disappointment, and we didn’t even get to see each other on our aniversary. He got me a gift certificate to get a mani/pedi as a present, and I’ve yet to be able to use it. He said he chose that gift because, and it’s true, I always complain about not being enough of a girl for him. He said it was a girly gift; he’s such a sweetheart. I don’t know how a guy I love so much can be so frustrating. Spoony works constantly, to the point of allowing himself to actually become sick from the exhaustion. And yet he won’t stop. He works full time already and is trying to get a second job, part time. I still don’t get why he needs it, even though he has told me his reason. Part of the reason I’m so upset is that I’m worried; I’m terrified of the phone call saying he’s managed to work himself into a hospital bed. And the other part is at least on some level selfish. I will never get to see him. I know what happens when he works like that. He never has anytime off, and that leaves us on the very farthest back burner. I can be patient, but patient shouldn’t mean never seeing him. This will be just as difficult as the distance, if not worse. Wish me luck.

Next on the list of things that I wanted to blab about tonight is something any American reader who drives can understand. What the hell is up with the gas prices these days. And don’t leave me comments on how it is all Bush’s fault. This is not a political post, nor is the focus of this blurb politics. It’s more economics than anything. It’s unethical and dishonorable to price gouge, and when a family has to choose between food/medicine and gas to go to work to buy more gas, there is something seriously wrong. I propose a significant fine on the major oil companies for every month their price is unreasonably high. These prices mena everything else is just as expensive. Studies have shown that the reason my gallon of milk costs me nearly five dollars is that my gallon of gas costs nearly four dollars if not more. This is why I refuse to do corporate law. I will not being some corporation’s hired gun to help them steal from the everyday people in this world. I do have a sense of ethics even if I want to be a lawyer.

I feel old lately. I mean I’ll be 21 in September, which means I’m not really old , but seriously, things have made me feel practically ancient. Songs come on the radio, and I remember when the song first came out, back when I was in grade school. I remember when gas was a $1.25 instead on $3.75, which by the way  made me feel like my grandmother because she always talks about gas being even less than that. Every time I think about things that become cool again, I remember when they were cool and I was in grade school. Like my kid brother was making hornets, and I was like ”Kid, I was making them, shooting them, and getting hornet ’stings’ way back when.” I then proceeded to unfold and trash them all because I remembered when kids got suspended for them.  Hornets, for those of you who don’t know, are pieces of paper, folded tightly, and are made so they are small but thick projectile weapons to be shot using rubberbands.

And finally, perhaps I won’t make such a bad wife after all. I manage this house pretty damn well, and I’m just the daughter. I practically play mother to all three other people in this house. I make sure there is food cook, laundry done. It’s me who makes the shopping list, who makes sure that everyone gets the things they need. I can cook, and I love to cook. I can handle the laundry and the dishes all while working on a paper or sorting out my kid brother’s homework problems. I’m hopelessly in love with Spoony, and we connect so well. I’m becoming in tune to his needs, emotions, etc. I’m not saying I’ll be susy homemaker, but I will be a good wife. If I can manage the stress.