Futurelawyer

To Live A Life Of Virtue.

Virtue gets a bad rap these days. The concept of a virtuous life, as discussed by the Stoics, is very different from the "virtue signaling" in the modern world. Many of us seem to try to show ourselves as something that others find virtuous, and often those actions are anything but classical virtue. I thought of this as I watched supposedly virtuous students block access to college campuses, say hateful things about Israel, and break into buildings this past week. In addition, they sought to prevent others from expressing competing opinions, which is the antithesis of free speech. All of these actions are the opposite of classical Stoic virtue, to which I believe we should all aspire. Stoic virtue is a life  free of passions, but includes appropriate responses based on rational understanding and the fulfillment of personal, social, professional, and civic responsibilities. 

"A Keyboard. How Quaint."

When I saw this cartoon, in which a little girl asks the teacher how to Google a Dictionary, I thought of the scene in one of the StarTrek movies in which Scotty tries to talk to a computer in the Sixties U.S. Pretty funny; but, a cautionary tale. Our kids are not learning to read books. They aren't learning to write in cursive. They are being taught that computers have all the answers, and they don't have to dig and make their own conclusions. This is not the way you grow a thinking adult capable of solving problems, big and small. Teach your kid to read books. Teach them to write in long hand. Teach them to find their own answers, and not to rely on computers for everything. Computers are a tool. Nothing more. This is one of the reasons I don't want robotic lawyers, or robotic doctors, or robotic philosophers. Humans, for all our faults, have something no robot or computer will ever have: a soul. Prepare your kids to be human beings first, and techno nerds after that.

 

Grammar Police - It's A Thankless, Difficult Job, But Someone Has To Do it.

I sometimes don't know which is worse, the misuse of apostrophes, or the mis-pronunciation of nuclear, or the total destruction of the usefulness of contractions, or the failure to use the Oxford comma. Mothers, don't let your kids grow up to be grammar police. It's a thankless, difficult job; and, will buy them a lifetime of pain and anguish.

Project Gutenberg - A Lifetime's Worth Of Free Reading.

Project Gutenberg. So many books. So little time. I don't remember when this old saying morphed from "So many women. So little time." But, it did, and when I finally realized how little time I had left, my reading days got shorter, and the number of books I wanted to read got longer. You really don't need any other reading site than Project Gutenberg, which has over 60,000 free Ebooks, and many in Kindle format. But, you can get them with or without images, in most cases, and in every EReader format. In my younger years, a trip to the wonderful library at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, where my step-father was stationed, was a real treat. I could settle into a big leather chair, and read for whole days. I discovered Bruce Catton there, and learned about the Civil War and tales of bravery and tragedy. I thank my mom for inspiring, in me, a love of books and reading, and some of my best days have been spent with books. Michael Wade, of Execupundit, loves books also, and has an extensive paper library. While I love the tactile sensations provided by books on paper, there is great power in having the collected knowledge of the planet in a small device that fits in your hands or pockets. Check out Project Gutenberg. There is not a moment to be wasted.

What Has Happened To Our Universities?

I grew up in a time when Universities were all about free speech. My fellow students held marches in opposition to the Vietnam War. Nobody cancelled me because I wore a ROTC uniform, and took Military Science classes. We coexisted, and argued, and were respectful of opposing view. We didn't run from them. We didn't demand safe spaces. People were literally dying in a war that divided the country; but, marches were peaceful. The worst thing we experienced was people throwing tomatoes. When our Universities, who educate our youth, begin censoring speech, the country is sliding into oblivion. Those of us who are free speech advocates must stand up and advocate. 

Why Kids Need To Be In School.

Hard Work And Much Study Make You Into An Expert.

Richard Feynman was plain spoken, curious, hard working and honest. When people called him a genius, he pointed out that genius is nothing more than an ordinary person who worked really hard, and spent a lot of time reading and studying. Some lawyers become an expert in a field about which they litigate. Learning isn't just fundamental. It is hard work. Now, go become a genius.

Feynman on Studying and Hard Work.

When Western Civilization Falls, I Will Be Dead. Should I Care?

Execupundit points to an interesting colloquy between Jordan Peterson and Camille Paglia about the future of Western Civilization. It is only seven minutes; but, they hit all the important questions. Will tech improvement that have lifted many from poverty to a middle class lifestyle be overcome by Roman like expansion that outstrips our ability to cope? Will multiculturalism and bureaucracy combine to crush the spirit of what makes Western civilizations successful? Will restrictions on free speech have a stultifying impact on innovation? Will the feel good indoctrination of modern Universities and the dumbing down of educational systems, create a society unprepared for conflict? Will identity politics create a society in which consciousness becomes irrelevant. Will the destruction of personal responsibility cause a tsunami of societal destruction? All of this said, I must live my own life as well as I can. If you are alive after me, which is a good bet, you must reap this whirlwind. Regardless, live your own life well. It is your choice.

 

Cancel Culture Is Coming For Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss Books Won't Be Published. Execupundit points to this article at Yahoo which reports that Dr. Seuss Enterprises is canceling the publication of six books over allegedly racist overtones. First, the books are banned. Then, they are burned. This symbolic book burning is a symptom of a horrible disease. Free Speech is at stake. This is not a political argument. This is not acceptable in a free society. When we begin to measure our words against a shifting tide of opinion, we are on our way down a slippery slope to tyranny. Any thinking person knows this. Will we stand against it?

Never Be Afraid To Speak Your Truth.

Ray Visotski , a good friend, and publisher of Mitigating Chaos, posts this story this morning about a teacher giving her class a lesson on "Anne Frank" and the Nazi regime. When the Nazis began to discriminate against the Jews, it began with separating them from the rest of society. They were made to wear cloth badges identifying them as Jewish. Few objected. "It's just a piece of cloth", they said. But, this lesson shows how humans and societies can be lulled into a false sense of security, or cowed into failing to speak up to injustice. The fable of the king with no clothes is a good example. Those of us who gain a reputation of being loud or obnoxious about expressing ourselves risk embarrassment or attacks; but, in my view, the consequences of failing to speak truth to power can be much worse. Never be afraid to speak up. Never be afraid to defend your truth. Never allow someone else to tell you what to think. As lawyers, we have a special responsibility to support everyone's right to speak their mind. Free speech is not just a right. It is essential to a free society. We don't just defend pleasant, agreeable speech. We defend all speech, no matter how we feel about it. So, the next time someone tries to silence you because your speech upsets them, fight back. Otherwise, you might find yourself hiding in an attic.