I've added a number of new items to the list in the right margin under Recent Posts and Categories, in which I've arranged to display the full list of posts on this site. As a newcomer to my own blawg site, there's a learning curve on how to do thing, and I haven't quite completed exploring the features of this program yet. But I'm getting there.
Attention is called to Jonathan Edwards, the Last Puritan, for a discussion of who the Puritans were who founded our society, their origins, what became of them, and their influence today, drawing on the recent Boston Red Sox World Series victory as a case in point.
Our freedom of religion, expression, press, assembly and petition, the whole Bill of Rights, in fact, is a gift from these folks. So we should try to understand more about them than is portrayed at Thanksgiving with the wearing of high-hats and buckled shoes while herding turkeys through the pumpkin patch on returning from church. The sexy Puritans (Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter" comes to mind) are our (very) lusty forebears.
Don't overlook the articles on Salem, 1692, the witchcraft accusation outbreak, which is hugely parallel to modern experience with child sexual abuse allegations. We went through an outbreak of our own in the 1980s in which innocent people were similarly falsely accused and often convicted of terrible crimes committed that had never committed by anyone, much less parents, relatives, and teachers.
Drawing on Salem, I successfully defended people who were falsely accused and began speaking out and writing articles detailing what had gone wrong. Some of those articles appear under "False Accusation, Child Abuse."
This was one of the big things I've done as a trial lawyer. When I look back at the efforts, which spanned years, I can say I did my best and did a good job for my clients, judging from the beneficial results. The challenges were many and profound. They certainly stretched whatever ability I brought, and continue to bring, to the bloody arena.
The articles and the teaching are an effort to pass on what I've learned.
Plus, and this is not least, I've been in private practice for a long time and I'm planning to continue. Can you think of anything better to do than to teach, write, and represent people who don't have the ability to represent themselves in the courtroom jungle? If you can, please let me know!
This is a way of letting you know of my capabilities so that when a problem comes up you'll think, I hope, to give me a call to see whether I can be of assistance. No, a case doesn't have to be large for me to try to help. But if it is, you know what I can do.
You're always welcome to call with no obligation.
If you want to make me smile, mention you've taken a look at the blog.
Have you ever thought how you might defend a witch in Salem, knowing what you know now?
Would you tell those folks in 1692 that they were superstitious?
That wouldn't work. They believed in God just as we do today. They might have put greater emphasis on the role of the Devil than some of us might today. But for them it wasn't crazy to believe in supernatural beings any more than many of us believe in God.
According to news reports of polls that I've seen, Americans profess a much greater belief in God than people living in Europe. I wonder what has happened.
Would you tell the Salem residents that they were crazy?
I don't think psychiatrists today attempt to treat patients by telling them they are crazy. That's not going to help you in Salem
There is a solution, but I'm going to let you think about it.
I felt I was defending accused witches in the 1980s, right down to the tormented child acting out and denouncing relatives in open court. It took all I had to beat the devils back.
Unfortunately, the Devil was working on the side of the the authorities, hence all the false prosecutions such as McMartin, Little Rascals, Kern County, George Franklin in San Mateo, and so very many more.
Fortunately, I was on the side of the angels. :)
I'm afraid we're not much better than the Puritans of Salem, 1692, when it comes to children's accusations.
There's a reason why sexy plays and movies were so often banned in Boston while the rest of the country, the West Coast especially, forged ahead on the libertarian, not to say libertine, front.
What happens when you try to repress sex?
You love it all the more.
The more forbidden the fruit, the better it tastes.
And the Puritans just loved them apples.
You can read all about it.
See also Measuring and Selling America, how the invention of the surveyor's chain turned vast American territories into salable lots in distant markets, creating the origin of the great wealth of this country, and giving meaning to the property clauses of the Constitution.
Items on studying Con-Law and Due Process of Law add to the list, but only in small part, as there are many more.
What I did was to review and update several years of Conlawprofs Listserv postings among the Constitutional Law professors in which I'd made a contribution, selecting the most useful for student purposes for display here.
"Different Cultures, 3-Strikes, Beach" is a triple-whammy that takes off from student questions raised in class.
A couple of lovely comments from long-time friends round out the picture in Bieder and in Sebastian.
You are welcome to comment too, especially if you see a correction that needs to be made or you disagree with something I took a stand on or otherwise pointed out.