Fighting off the dark clouds.

 

I spent some time in Jamaica recently, and even with all of its challenges as a Third World country, I felt an incredible amount of peace. My mind felt rested, and the love I felt from the people around me was genuine and heartfelt. 

Then I came back home to America, and my spirit and my soul instantly felt restless. I can't put my finger on it, but I am sure that a lot of you reading this feel it as well. There is a dark cloud hanging over this great country of ours, and it has been for some time now. Maybe it's the extreme anger and Fascism creeping into our politics, maybe it's a justice system that doesn't seem so just anymore, and maybe it's just the madness and depravity that has taken hold of our citizenry that has them committing one senseless and unspeakable crime after another. Whatever it is, that cloud is chasing us, and it seems to be just a matter of time before it engulfs us all. 

Then what? How will we react collectively when the country we thought was the "shiny city on a hill"--- meant to be an example for the rest of the world of how a true democracy functions, starts falling apart at the seams? It feels like it already is, but the worse, I suspect, is yet to come. 

Some of you will notice that I have been blogging less these days. There is still a lot to write about, but sadly, my heart just isn't in. It doesn't seem like enough. There has to be more we can do than just write. I have been trying, but nothing changes. I am sure that a lot of you have as well. Hopefully you won't get discouraged, and you will keep fighting the good fight to preserve what's left of our democracy and this great experiment we call America.

Today, while walking in Center City, Philadelphia, I saw a gentleman who was clearly down on his luck and was asking folks passing by for some change. I stopped and gave him a few bucks and before I moved on, something told me to just ask him how he was doing. "I'm good. You sharp. You a lawyer?" I told him yes, and asked him how he knew. " You got that lawyer look about you. Like you don't give a f*** abut nothing but winning. I like that look."  I know I don't look it, but I'm winning, too." He meant it. I looked at him, and he sure as hell didn't look like he was winning. But winning or losing in the game of life can be such a subjective thing. Winning can mean different things to different people. He was alive an he seemed to have all of his mental faculties together. That might be all the win he needs or wants.

Sadly, in America, we all just don't feel like we are winning these days. The thing is, though, whether it's some guy down on his luck in Center City, Philadelphia, or a lawyer going about his daily grind and trying to make ends- meet, we are all in the same boat together. Where we get from here in that boat will depend on all of us doing what we can to make sure the boat doesn't go down and drown us all. We all have to play our part, because dark clouds are out there, and they aren't going away any time soon.    

Caption Wednesday.

 

I need a caption for this picture. 

Back soon.

 Hi field hands, I am out of pocket doing some business in the Southern regions of our great country.  

Holla at you soon.

Keep pushing, and stay safe.

Election thoughts.

 I'm going to write a few words about the two governor's races that everyone seemed to be watching yesterday. 

In Virginia, the republican candidate, Glen Youngkin, beat a man who is- let's just go on and say it- not the most likeable guy in the world, and he did it by distancing himself just enough from the former guy, and utilizing what I am calling the new Sothern Strategy to his advantage. Yes folks, in case you haven't been paying attention, critical race theory has become the Willie Horton of 2021 and beyond for right wing politicians. Let's just forget the fact that it's not even taught in high schools -or any other schools besides law schools and some advance college courses- but it is such a convenient tool to scare the right people if you know what I mean. And it worked.  Youngkin  styled himself as an approachable suburban dad.  He is worth 300 million, and this is his first political office. We will be watching where this goes. 

Meanwhile, across the bridge in New Jersey, it's still too close to call. Although the Democratic candidate, Phil Murphy, is looking more and more like he might squeak out a victory. National pundits will try to say that the fact that this race is this close is a big blow for democrats. But just remember this: The last time a democrat won back to back terms as governor of New Jersey was 1977. 

Finally, there were Judicial races here in  Pennsylvania, and Republican candidates won up and down the ballots for all the statewide Judicial seats. They did it because republican voters were motivated and came out to vote, and Democratic voters were not.  These races are important, too, because the courts will determine whether a lot of these new laws being pushed by Republican state legislatures are constitutional.  

On a personal note, a good friend of mine ran for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and she lost because her opponent went negative with false misleading ads leading up to the election. It's a shame, too, because Marie McLaughlin, when I practiced with her in the same division, was an excellent lawyer, and she has been a terrific Superior Court Judge during her tenure as well. She did not deserve the sleazy way her opponent dispatched her by way of negative and misleading ads. That's just not me saying this, the Pennsylvania Bar Association agrees with me.  But such is politics in modern day America. It's scorched earth, and it's tribal, and if you you take the "high road" you will be crushed. Even in a race for the highest judicial office in a great American state.