I mark all my books these days. LaElu reminded me how my dad marked those that he had read with a little hat symbol. I wonder where that came from?
In local Municipal Court Thursday, I was sitting waiting on a case, and a lady was trying to plead guilty to driving on a suspended license and no insurance and the Judge was concerned but was letting her do it. She kept adding facts about her life - she lives way the hell up a hollow on land owned by her family, and there are three children from 15 down to 9 in the house. Her income is $262 per month, plus food stamps. The Judge was in the process of fining her $800. Honestly, I tried to close my heart, Lord knows I'm swamped already with pro bono shit, but there was a room full of lawyers who didn't even quit quietly gossiping about shit, I got mad, and intervened in such respectful tones as I could, took her on as a client, withdrew the plea, and now will see if I can assist any good things (or at least less-than-totally-miserable things) happening in her life. My point is NOT that I'm a hale and hearty fellow, I'm not. I probably spend more money a month on books that their family receives. The fact that people live like that and are ground up in the legal machinery is a blot on our society. And it is easy to say that she ought to get her ass to work, etc., but simply telling her to do that does no good at all. She needs a boost -- transportation, heating (she's 50 and looks 70, and cuts firewood to heat the house poorly). I asked her how in the hell she would have paid that fine, and she said that she would have to have sold her last calf, but didn't want to, because she has enough pasture that the calf will grow pretty much on his own, and in a year or so, he will represent a big part of the family's food supply for several months. What a hell of a choice. And I do not for one minute think that Obama, Hillary, or Mahatma Gandhi are going to swoop in and make a lot of difference in her life.
This morning, Bro. Dave & I had coffee in the café across from the Courthouse. Dave left for Court, and I remained to finish my coffee and do some notes in my notebook in the quiet. A fellow came in, somewhat grizzled African-American guy, got his coffee and sat down at a nearby table. I noticed one of the few military symbols I recognize, an airborne insignia, on his ball cap and I commented that he obviously had been there and back again. He was somewhat surprised that a non-military guy would recognize that, and we chatted a few minutes. He said that something was on his mind today, he was remembering a "fire-fight" in Vietnam where his buddy earned a posthumous Medal of Honor by covering a grenade with his body. This gentleman credited that with saving his life. I did a quick search when I got back to No. 3, and found a brief account:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_L._Olive%2C_III
Mr. Olive was among the first to "win" that medal in the war. Anyway, I had to get back to No. 3, so I asked if this fellow if I could shake his hand, we did so, he gave me a "God bless," and I left. What’s my point? I’m not sure. Sometimes I get a little ticked off at our local newspaper. In the obits, if the deceased has served in the military at all, s/he has a little flag symbol put on the obit. There have been lots of DAMN fine people, very patriotic people who didn’t happen to put on that uniform who have died without that honor, and others whose service was military, but tame and peaceful (and, in the case of one fellow I just dealt with, thoroughly dishonorable). But it’s a good thing to be reminded that there are and were people like Mr. Olive and this fellow I met this morning who really, really sacrificed a lot for their country. Hokey? I can live with that.
I received an email this morning from my brother (both genetic and Masonic) who visits here and had some comments about my nascent study of Paul’s writings, and I appreciated that. I’m finding that this area is quite complex, and worthy of being called scholarship. The way Pastor Josh is going about it I appreciate. He does not have a "syllabus," which to me is a checklist to fill out, not a system of study, which reminds me of the line out of a Simon & Garfunkel song, ". . . and we note our place with bookmarkers, to measure what we’ve lost." Filing out that checklist may require some learning, but it ain’t scholarship.
I went to a political fundraiser for an extraordinarily conservative justice of our Supreme Court tonight. Our philosophies are remarkably different, but he is taking absolutely outrageous damage from the left which is so morally corrupt that it offends the HELL out of me. I will not be a rubber stamp or knee jerk liberal. Perhaps that's why I piss EVERYONE off now and then.
Yesterday, I was in a small town in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia for a municipal court hearing. This was appalling. I know the judge, and he’s a nice and easy going fellow. I didn’t know the city attorney, but didn’t need to, because in the 20 hearings that went before ours, the city attorney didn’t say ONE SINGLE WORD. Poker players may be familiar with the term "cold deck." This one had icicles hanging off of it. The Judge negotiated the pleas and essentially coerced people to pay big fines in exchange for no points on their driver’s licenses. The Judge and the police present were joking, obviously pleased with the cash cow that the Court gives this City. And they would be deeply offended at my conclusion that this is totally legally and morally corrupt. But it is.
Heard an ad on TV last evening for a "Girls Gone Wild" video. Essentially, someone films drunken college girls flashing & stripping. And they sell this shit. Hey, I like women as well as the next guy, but this stuff is demeaning. We are teaching boys & young men that girls & women are only talking life-support systems for breasts, vaginas, etc. Is it any wonder that they conclude that from society’s context?
Heard a blurb on the news about last night’s eclipse, that it would be good "if the weather cooperates." Sloppy language. The eclipse was going to happen, celestial mechanics mandated that.
I listen to tapes/CD’s in the car on trips. On one I listened to yesterday, the narrator related how "wilderness is therapy." That speaks to me.
I'm going home. Pippa passes.
R
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4 comments:
Thank you for the link. It is for people like him that I have given up complaining for Lent.
Always look forward to your posts, Mr Elu.
you postings always make me wish we lived closer and could have a cuppa together every day
:)
4
"And I do not for one minute think that Obama, Hillary, or Mahatma Gandhi are going to swoop in and make a lot of difference in her life." ... Dearheart, Do you not see Obama and Hillary and Edwards are already making a difference? Of course you do ... you're already one of their surrogates out there in the courts. And while they have sparked the goodwill you've already carried about in you, your consciousness is acutely emphatic yes? I, myself, find exchanges on the phone and in the corner mini marts are full of uncommon kindnesses and gestures these days. Besitos, Sarai
One of the problems I've seen in working with people who've fallen through the cracks is that the entire system seems designed to keep them down. Like your client.... yes, she should get a job. But, how's she supposed to do that if she can't drive? If where you are is anything like where I live there's no mass-transit and no place close enough to walk to.
Though, you might want to call your local social services and some other area non-profits. Around here, we have something called Way To Go - and one of the things that program does is they'll pay like upto a quarter's insurance for someone who's trying to get on their feet. It only serves Rockingham County, but there might be something similar in your area.
Also, look into when the Section 8 waiting list will be open in your area again. Her income is more than low enough that she would be eligible for Section 8. Then, whenever her name came up on the list, she might be able to get into more suitable housing.
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