Fighting the Good Fight

We all make choices in life. That affect the rest of our life. I realized at my conference today that my chosen profession means giving up some things. Well, at least how the world is now. But the world can change. Now I just face the likelihood of the consequences of my career path.

Here are what I think they are...

• Being poor. Well, maybe not poor exactly. But that Jetta I've wanted since I was a teenager? Yeah, it's probably not going to happen.
• Not a lot of appreciation or "Thank you's"
• Nightmares. Stuff you just can't get out of your head.
• Hmm... How do I put this one? Probably not going to be in Young Womens anytime ever.
• Overly Cautious when out in the community.
• Knowing too much about neighbors/family/friends.
• Quickly judging others about lying or telling the truth. Can't afford not to.
• Never being able to watch any Legal TV Show ever without getting angry about it. 
• Being overly protective of children, especially my own.

But... at the same time, there are benefits:

• Being able to say that I make my community a better place.
• Victories that can make you smile weeks after they happen.
• Having a quiet, sustaining spiritual life.
• Having motivations to run it out, always.
• Being overly cautious and protective. (it's good and bad)
• Having coworkers and a team to work with. Never standing alone.
• Having a intellectually stimulating job. Lots to think about and work out.
• Steady work schedule, most of the time.
• Being able to "do it all". Not many jobs let you bring your kid to work, work from home, or wear sweat pants to work. Very grateful for that!

There are good things and bad things about these serious choices we make. I think, in the end, the good will outweigh the bad. Perhaps the best part about this it that I am where I am supposed to be.

Life is good!

Quiet Dignity

This topic has been on my mind a lot lately, although I haven't really known it was called "Quiet Dignity" while I've been thinking about it. But this morning I realized that the thoughts on my mind lately have actually been summed up in these words - quiet dignity.

Quiet dignity is something LDS missionaries are instructed to seek for on their mission. I think it's in the little white handbook we carried around. Or maybe it was just in my mission rules.

Either way, it's doing what's right without making a big deal out of it. It's flying below the radar, but still living true to your testimony.

I've had a calling change at church recently and I have the opportunity to work with some women who are great examples of quiet dignity. They have a calming presence that makes the stress and weight of the world go away. And that says a lot as I study for the bar exam!

At the same time, I've noticed a lot about LDS people in the media that seem to be very flashy and shocking and really in-your-face. It's kind of bothered me. Not what they're doing, but just how they're doing it. I guess I almost feel disappointed that there's such a stir about just being a good person.

And then there's part of me that feels like it's about the attention and not what they're doing. While I agree with some of what I've seen in the media about LDS people, I don't think they need to make a media scene to live what they believe. I can't help think that more meaningful than a blog post, a march, a angry rant on Facebook, or anything of the like, the more meaningful thing is being a friend, listening to a person who is struggling, having dinner with someone you know needs support, etc. etc.

And what I see in the media is not quiet dignity. I'm kind of disappointed in that.

Now, I am also an old lady. Well, I think I have the soul of a grandma. I've come to not care to be a spectacle or a freak show. I don't want people in my life who want to just see the drama of my life. I just want a few good friends and family members to peaceably live out my days with in laughter, tears, and lots of tasty food.

I feel like I've had my day in the sun. The other day I was thinking about how excited I am to turn 30. Well, I still have a couple years before that, but I feel like I have completely exhausted my 20's. I feel as though I have lived them to the fullest and I am ready to be old. And boring. And mature or whatever. Maybe I am just really tired from studying for the bar. Although I am far from prepared for it.

And somehow this all relates back to my original thought of Quiet Dignity. I am inspired by these women I spoke of earlier. I want to be like them. I want to be a person who quietly goes about her life and just does what's right without being loud.

So that is what I am working on now. Aside from the bar exam and everything else in life, I am striving for quiet dignity.

Also I've been addicted to Fredericksburg peaches lately.
So tasty. 

My Legal Education

I learned something this past week from my Constitutional Law professer (aka the Godfather of Baylor Law). Prof. Guinn has been teaching Con Law since the Cold War and is one of my favorite professors ever.

He has a wealth of knowledge. Recently he used a phrase that I will never forget, that I absolutely love:

The Phrase:

Country

Bumpkin

Now, you may know what this is. But I'd never heard of it before. It sounds really cute, especially when Godfather Guinn says it. However, the meaning of the word is not as endearing. Basically it's a uneducated country person who uses non-politically correct speech without knowing how offensive it is.

When I think about it I want to just giggle. Isn't it cute? Say it three times, you'll agree.

Bet Ya Didn't Know This About the Constitution!-Part 2

Ever get frustrated by those people who protest military funerals?

Or get tired of hearing people say that Mormons aren't Christians?

What about when people say the US has become a Muslim-run country?

Pretty much any inflammatory statement that to you, and the common sense you know is just wrong.

Does it make you mad?

Do you think to yourself, "That should be illegal"

Or "That's a straight-up lie, people shouldn't be allowed to say that"

Well there's a reason why it's not. And there's a solution on how YOU can fix it.


The 1st Amendment to the Constitution reads:

When people say outrageous things, they are exercising their freedom of speech.

Under the First Amendment, their speech cannot be unlawful.

That means, you can't censor it.

But what can you do?

The Supreme Court- those who get the last word on what the Constitution means- has said that if there's outrageous speech, inflammatory speech, or false speech out then the answer is:

 MORE SPEECH

If someone is polluting the marketplace of ideas, it is your job to clean it up. 

It is your job to put out correct ideas and correct information.

Pacifism has become the norm in the word today. People don't like what they hear and they shake their head and walk away. Well that's not any way to solve the problem.

The right thing to do is to put the truth out there. To say your opinion.

I hope that people will change. That when there are crazy folks saying crazy things, people speak up and flood the world with truth.

I think the LDS Church is starting to handle it. The Church is about to do a huge media blitz in the Central Texas Area. I could not be happier. I'm excited to see if this has an effect.

So remember: 

THE ANSWER TO SPEECH IS MORE SPEECH.

(not censorship)

SO SPEAK UP

------------

Sidenote: Thanks for all the kind wishes for our Watermelon! I hope to have a positive report in a few weeks!

Friday Flashback: April 29, 2011

Last Friday I was exhausted and about to take a final. I think I slept 3 hours that night. Stress is awful. No sleep is awful. Check out the last message I sent to Russ for proof:

I didn't even notice all my misspellings until post-test. Such a sorry text message! So grateful that this Friday I spent it hauling around the Sister Missionaries, making delicious food visiting with friends, and just now waking up from a nap.

Long Live the relaxing Fridays!!!

Next Stop: Finals

I finished my last mini-trial today. Now, all that is standing between me and my regular gym schedule and normal weekends are my finals. I'm so relieved I have survived this far. It has not been easy. I could NOT have done it without Russ.

My last trial ended with a humorous comment from my professor. He said:

"You are like a fetus lawyer"

I stare blankly at him.

"If we gave you your bar card today and sent you out to be a lawyer you would be...viable. You are almost a lawyer, you're almost done gestating and will soon be born."

Umm... Thank You???

Gift for a Great Man

If you don't know me well, know this: I tend to expect the best in people. I do this to a fault. I am too critical of myself or others. And I'm working on lightening up about it.

That said, I have had a great class from a professor who has exceeded my "great expectations." I have a great appreciation and respect for this man. He is dedicated to academics. He is always respectful of students. He is always willing to listen to whatever silly thing we want to tell him without getting impatient or annoyed. He also knows how to make class fun.

Who's this guy? Why, he's Professor Guinn. Grandpa Guinn. Godfather Guinn. He's my Constitutional Law professor. And tradition at Baylor says that the Constitutional Law class should give this grand professor a gift. Yes, a gift. A little 'thank you' present from his students.

Now in the past he's received some very nice and expensive ties. He's received some bottles of Wild Turkey (it's some sort of expensive alcohol. I'm not really sure what kind). But our class is a BIG class. So we could afford to do something extra special.

That's right, we bought him a shotgun. So he can exercise his 2nd amendment rights. We also gave him a gift card to Hooters (I was less than excited about this part). So he can excercise his 1st amendment right to symbolic speech.

It was a lot of fun. Anytime you can give a 90+ yr. old man a gift that brings tears to his eyes... it's worth it. 

He's a fantastic professor, someone I hope to emulate someday, and I am very grateful I got to take his class.

Bet Ya Didn't Know This About the Constitution!

I've been thinking about this for sometime. I wanted to wait and post about other things, but I can't wait any longer. I keep laughing about this when I hear people talk about it, and I want other people to know why I'm laughing.

Alright. So here's the topic: the 2nd Amendment "Right to Bear Arms."

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"


Alright. Just keep this in mind. Now some back story: American law is based upon English law. Our body of law came across the ocean and then was modified and changed. In English law, there are certain rights that the Founding Fathers thought were so important, that they brought over from England and put them in the Constitution (you may be thinking, so what? But this is HUGE). This is HUGE because these rights have become known as natural right. Inalienable rights. Rights that do not derive from the people's social contract with their government, but that the people already have.

For example, the right against imminent domain. The government cannot take your stuff, or your land, without just compensation.

Alright, so to the ♥ of the matter: Washington DC v. Heller 554 U.S. 570 (2008). In this case, the issue is the right to bear arms---the 2nd Amendment. The opinion from the Supreme Court essentially said this:

The 2nd Amendment does not give the people a right to keep and bear arms. That is a natural right brought over from England. It's an inalienable right. It is a right that does not derive from the social contract between the people and their government, but this is a right that the people already have.

What the 2nd Amendment does is merely guarantee that the government will not get in the way of this right.

Interesting huh? So it makes me laugh lately when people refer to gun rights as their "Constitutional Right" or their "2nd Amendment Right". I mean, I don't think it's detrimental to refer to it this way. But knowing what this right actually is, makes it funny when people say otherwise.

Also, as a sidenote: this doesn't mean that government can't regulate guns. They can regulate guns in a few ways still- through the Commerce Clause in Article I of the Constitution, and in balancing national security against individual rights (and probably some other ways beyond my 2L law school knowledge).

Learning this was also interesting for me because I am not the handiest with a gun. I've been meaning to take some classes to learn more, and this sort of motivates me to learn more. Knowing that this is a right found to be so precious to the Found Fathers, sort of makes me want to exercise this right a little more. Now, I'm not a 'gun person'. I'm not a 'violent person'. But I don't think being afraid of guns or uneducated of guns is a good thing either.

So, did you know that about the Constitution?

Sad News

After spending a lot of time this past week studying the judicial progression of our country over the past 200+ years, I begin to feel like the US has become a champion of individual rights. Not perfect, but somewhere where civility and respect are engrained into our laws and society. The news of the shooter on Saturday in Arizona brought me to reality.

Our laws can change and be just as they may. But if we do not have civility and respect engrained in our attitudes and behaviors, then what good does it do to have just and civil laws?

I read recently a quote from Ben Franklin. It may be American folklore, but pointed nonetheless.

A aged man asked Ben Franklin after the Constituional Convention of 1787 what kind of government had been created for the people. Ben Franklin responded, "A Republic, if you can keep it."


Please, let us keep it...

Good Night, Last Night

Last night was a very fulfilling night. I'll tell you why. I am part of the J. Rueben Clark Law Society. It's the law society for legal professionals and law students that are Mormon. When I started law school, before I decided on Baylor, I was eager to be part of this Society. I'm not really sure why I was so excited, but I was.

When I went to orientation for Baylor, I asked the Dean over Student Services about it and got a very blunt response about Baylor not recognizing other religious groups. I'm sure the Dean did not intend the effect, but I felt sad about it. I knew I was going to be lonely in law school, being so far away from my family and friends. And now, where I thought I would make friends was not going to happen... or so I thought.

Turns out, there is a Waco Chapter of JRCLS. We are small in number, but it was a wonderful friendship to have at Baylor. Although, I was (and still am) the only girl. After my first year, the National society sent an e-mail out about applying to be on committees. I thought that I could help with the Women In Law committee, being the only female Mormon law student in my school. So I applied.

A little while later, Tyson Smith (the Vice-President over the Student Chapters) called and asked if I would serve as the Texas Regional Representative instead. So this past 6 months or so I've been in that capacity.

Well, last night was the 2nd Annual Regional Meeting for Texas. It was a long road, a lot of planning, and included some disappointments. But it happened! And while we were small in numbers, we were large in friendship and Spirit.

What really made last night a good night was our speaker, a Stake President and a law firm partner from Dallas (Mr. Kimball). In Waco, we don't get that kind of attention. We were excited.

Mr. Kimball spoke to us about who J. Rueben Clark was. None of us really had any clue. Turns out, the dude was AMAZING! I had always thought that J. Rueben Clark was some small-time Utah lawyer. Actually, he practiced International Law and served as a counsel to the United States in many affairs with Latin America. When I say, "many affairs", I mean important disputes that otherwise would/could have ended in war.

It was so neat to hear about the work President Clark did in his lifetime. He was very successful. But it was also touching how he dropped it all when called to be in the First Presidency of the Church. That's another interesting point- Pres. Clark had not served as an Apostle prior to being in the First Presidency. He was called to serve while an Ambassador to Mexico.

Not only was the topic good, but afterwards the speaker stayed and answered questions. Some of the law students (all fathers, husbands, and about to graduate) stayed and asked Mr. Kimball questions. Questions like, "How do you do it? How can you be a partner and a Stake President?"

It was neat to listen to. Here are a few things that I wanted to remember that he said:

• You can't have equal time with work and your family. And little kids do not understand quality over quantity. What you can do, and must do, is have the Spirit with you so your time with your children is most effective. So you will know what you need to say or do to help them and to let them know their Dad loves them.
• Live close to where you work. Time a lawyer spends in the car is time wasted. Your time is too valuable to drive 2 hours each day. Plus, if you live close to the office, you can go to lunch with your spouse sometimes.
• The reason we have so many good things to do in the church is because we need to learn to prioritize. The church handbooks will not get smaller. It is for us to read, pray, and prioritize what is most important and to then act accordingly. 
• (Along with the above). It's unfair to ask a young mother to go to the temple once a week, do family history, and to be a good mother. Maybe her family history is scrapbooking or blogging about what is happening now. That is enough. We can't expect everyone to be active on a weekly basis in every facet of the gospel. 
• Work hard at your job so when the Church calls you, you have the credibility to shift your focus a little bit. I could not be partner and Stake President if I hadn't proved myself as an Associate. I did quality work, I worked hard, and put in long hours. So now that I need to spend some time away from the office, I'm too valuable for them to let me go.

It was such a good evening. I walked away from it feeling like I am in the right place right now. I am where Heavenly Father wants me to be. I am doing what He wants me to be doing. And the future can wait. I'll get there soon enough.

Ten Days of Gratitude-Day 3

Where would we be today without the outstanding individuals of the past? Would we have a Constitution without John Locke's 2nd Treatise on Civil Government? History again and again shows us that an idea, a life, a decision of one person can influence the future. My life has changed, who I am has changed, thanks to many people gone before.

Today, I am thankful for people who do good things, make tough decisions, and make the world a better place. It makes me want to be better.

"All you need is LOVE." -John Lennon

"In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love" -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Every calling is great when greatly pursued."- Oliver Wendell Holmes (Supreme Court Justice for all my non-law school friends)

John & Abigail Adams

"If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons"- Sir Winston Churchill 

(recently read a biography about him. He's amazing)

Ghandi- "Be the change you wish to see in the world"

The sun rose

Chow survived the LSAT. We enjoyed GenConf. Now we just have to get
Austin ready for our Moms.

Ready for the test

After months of studying Chow takes the LSAT in the morning. She spent
the day relaxing with friends, checking out the test center, and
lounging in the hotel room. We both have to be on campus at UT early
in the morning so we're staying in Austin. The room has sleep number
beds, I can't wait to sleep.

Magic beans

For the past... It seems like forever, Chow has been getting ready to
take the LSAT. Today she got a new study aid, prescription strength
skittles. Her favorite are the purple ones. According to the
instructions they are "just to make you smile".