Contrast Mockingbird’ s vignette with that presented by The Lottery. In The Lottery’ s community, not one person stands against the violence. Not one member of the community speaks up, even meekly and politely, to ask why the lottery should continue, or why the result of the lottery should be so violent. Nobody even raises much more than a gentle murmur about the reason for the lottery other than some vague notion of a good-luck sacrifice. What if the spell of The Lottery’ s mob could have been broken by one lawyer who stood and called for a re-evaluation of the lottery? Or more simply, if a lawyer was merely permitted to defend Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson prior to her death sentence? A hysteric would not carry the argument, but a calm and reasonable appeal by a lawyer to the neighbors might.
Attorneys and judges carry a sacred role in our society to stand between the mob( righteous at times though it may be) and the intended victim of the mob’ s grisly task. This is true of all legal cases, not merely criminal matters. Fury and righteous indignation can and will come from any
corner at any time. Passion for a case, for an issue, or for a cause are all to be expected from time-to-time in a society generally based upon free speech and personal freedoms. The mob may be large, or it may be only a handful of people. The mob may appear in court, on the street, or more often lately, online. And always, as in the two above-noted stories, the members of the mob are largely convinced of the rightness of their mob’ s cause.
The calm, reasoned, educated, and thoughtful processing of matters within the legal system must be done by learned and competent attorneys and judges. Perhaps this is the most basic and ancient reason for the existence of a legal system: to replace mob rule. We possess a legal system, which is at times imperfect, but which nonetheless seeks perfection as the ultimate goal, to the point that lawyers and judges train, read, stay current, and study the law so the legal system can perform its basic and crucial task of offering a viable and peaceful alternative to mob rule.
This is not to say lawyers shouldn’ t be passionate, nor believe in important issues. In fact, lawyers are often asked to lend their knowledge and expertise to issues and organizations, and my experience is most issues and organizations benefit from the presence of a lawyer or judge within its leadership. Because all lawyers and judges have their own personal opinions and beliefs, lawyers may from time-to-time find themselves passionately and righteously supporting or resisting an issue or a cause.
The point is this:
When and if you find yourself passionately and righteously supporting or resisting an issue or cause, make sure you first take a moment to look down at your hands:
Are they holding a book while sitting in a chair under a lamp protecting Tom Robinson; or are your hands holding a couple of rocks while you stare down at Tessie Hutchinson?
J-.
IT ' S YOUR IVIEIVIBERSHIP ASSISTANCE PROGRAIVI WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT
Since January 2008, SBANO has offered a member assistance program for its members and their families. More information on the program is available at the SBANO website, http:// www. sband. org.
PERSONAL PROBLEMS: The MAP Program offers counseling services to SBANO members and their families for personal problems such as marriage and other family concerns. The focus is not on who is at fault, but how to reach a solution. Most people get the help they need in the eight sessions a year that are provided at no cost.
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The SBANO Member Assistance Program offers confidential, professional counseling services in locations across the state of North Dakota for a variety of concerns, emotional crisis, financial and family difficulties, substance abuse evaluations and workrelated problems. Members and their families are entitled to receive up to eight counseling sessions per identified problem area at no charge for each calendar year.
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