my week in objects (mostly).

Thank you for always offering wonderful articles to read for the weekend. They are often interesting and sometimes provocative. (and I’m proud that our local library celebrates banned books, too. They usually have a special section right in the middle of the lobby with books that are often banned). Last week, you had a particularly provocative piece that I enjoyed immensely on the Constitution. I can’t wait to read the book. It has made me think and reflect so deeply. I’ve come to the conclusion that based on the interview and description of the book, I completely disagree with the thesis. But I do like for my eyes to be opened to other viewpoints, and that’s why I will still read it. Like the interviewer, I am also a lawyer. In this case, a human rights lawyer. I do asylum work, and most of my clients are from countries like China, Turkey, Russia, Belarus. Their claims are often based on religious persecution or political opinion. This is different than cases, say, from Central America (and I do have clients from there, too) who are suffering from gang violence, not violence from authoritarian regimes. I say this with a purpose, to be addressed a bit later. I get that our Forefathers were slavers. They weren’t good people in that way. But human beings are complex and have many levels. Doing one horrible, terrible thing does not make a person a horrible terrible person. When I represent clients who have committed crimes, I urge the court to use discretion and note that we should not be judged by this major fault. People are more complicated. We can do bad things and still be good people. Were the forefathers imperfect? yes, totally. Does that mean we should disregard everything they stood for? Absolutely not. Over the past two years, I’ve delved deep on a personal level into re-learning about our early US history. This has been for my own edification. But it has helped me see the absolute genius of our forefathers. Absolute genius. What they created was extremely special in the history of humanity and civilization. Almost every single revolution that has taken place in the world ended with a dictator at the helm. Yet for 245 years, that has not happened here. The democracy has held. The constitution has provided that backbone. As I said, I work with clients who are from autocratic regimes. I have spent 17 years working in this field. I have become an expert in the history and politics of these authoritarian regimes by my study, which I believe helps me argue my clients’ cases. The US is special. It has issues. But for all of its imperfections, the freedoms granted by that “add-on” bill of rights are absolutely amazing. The institutions created in those first three articles of the constitution work. Whatever a person thinks about a 30 something year old slaver and whether that person’s ideas should still hold sway today, I think we should recognize the true genius behind those (extremely imperfect) men. I believe the constitution is a living document, and serves us best when we continue to interpret our current events with that as a backbone, but a flexible backbone. I do not believe anyone would be served by pretending like it is anything but great. I have seen what the alternatives are, and I’ll just say: there is a reason that people from all over the world risk their lives to seek security here. As imperfect as we are, the rights we have and the freedom we have are unique and special and worth fighting for. Thanks again for sharing that article. I have been thinking about it all week.

I have tolerated an ugly but necessary match box in my kitchen for years so when I saw yours camouflaged with gum tape it was an eureka moment! I had no idea such a thing existed and I am gettin’ me some.
Thank you for all your inspirations big and small 🙂

Quiet Tiffany is hilarious!