United We Stand

No, I'm not going to pretend to have read the play, because I haven't. But I want to clarify the meaning of this quote. People love to hate lawyers and think of it as a joke. Just kill all the lawyers.

The statement is meant to show that if you want to eliminate the rule of law and impose tyranny, then the first thing you need to do is kill all the lawyers. At my swearing in ceremony, one of the judges who spoke mentioned this quote and discussed its true meaning. I have never forgotten it.

As much as people love to hate lawyers, if you are arrested or detained today or tomorrow, whether or not you are guilty or innocent, who are you going to call? Today, I read an article stating that a human rights attorney was arrested in China. If you want to suppress the freedom of the people, get rid of the lawyers.

The Sixth Amendment of our Constitution gives us the right to counsel when criminally prosecuted.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

This week I have been angry. A seething simmering anger, which probably causes ulcers. I've been angry because of the viciousness, which is now the Massachusetts race for Governor.

The Republican candidate, Kerry Healey, who shall remain nameless for the rest of this post, has sunk to a low that is mind-boggling, so dirty, and just plain evil, that the veins in my head are pulsing just thinking about it. If this post ends suddenly, I probably had a stroke writing it. I'm that pissed off.

Why all the emotion you ask? Deval Patrick is the Democrat running for governor. I have written several posts about him and strongly support him. I became a delegate at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention, so that I could support his run for Governor.

Granted these posts are pretty whimsical, but I seriously believe in democracy, our system of justice, and being civic-minded. The nameless one has been running negative ads against Deval Patrick, essentially stating that he's not fit to be Governor, because while he was practicing law as a defense attorney, he defended criminals. It is the duty of a defense attorney to represent those who have been accused of crimes. He was doing his job. As I mentioned before, our Constitution gives us this right.

Do we want to live in a country where someone accused of a crime cannot receive legal representation? A country where attorneys refuse to represent those most in need? I know I do not, but I guess that is where the nameless one wants to live. Since that is her mentality, everyone in the Commonwealth should be very afraid of the type of policies that she would implement if elected Governor.

Deval Patrick was doing his legal duty by zealously representing his clients. Yes, that IS the type of person who I want to be my Governor. Someone who understands the value of true social justice. The nameless one should be ashamed, very ashamed. She has disgraced herself and is an affront to those of us who share her gender.

I've been wondering why the Massachusetts Bar has not come out swinging against the nameless one and supporting Deval Patrick. I've spoken with my co-workers this past week wondering why the Bar hadn't stepped up. Well, I just read an article that has done my whole cardiovascular system a world of good. Massachusetts lawyers are coming together to speak out against the nameless one and to endorse Deval Patrick. And for the first time in 34 years, Lawyers Weekly has endorsed a candidate for elected office, Deval Patrick.

There was also a wonderful opinion piece on Boston.com, discussing John Adams defense of British soldier during the Boston Massacre. So if the 2nd President of the United States, one who wrote the Massachusetts Constitution could defend criminals, then I think the nameless one who calls herself a Criminologist, needs to look at her understanding of this country's criminal justice system.