Criminal law addresses several issues with assumed results. It addresses the need for fairness and closure by punishing disfavored behavior. It addresses the need for moral retribution in the same fashion. It is supported by lawyers and lawmakers as having … Continue reading
Category Archives: I’ve Been Thinking
I am reminded of the lyrics from Hair as I read the New York Times account (May 17) captioned “Whites Account for Under Half of Births in U.S.” There is a tinge of fear in the reporting; fear that our … Continue reading
It is always dangerous to write something that could function as a putative “history” at a point in time close to the events being discussed. One lacks the perspective of time, and the information that future events provides to illuminate … Continue reading
Yesterday I saw a jacket lettered on the back “Occupy Boston.” Although the jacket was not crisp-looking and might even be viewed as ratty, it suggests some steps for the commercialization of this social protest movement. Normally, causes advertise themselves … Continue reading
My father lived to almost 101; as for birthdays, he started counting at 39. So for me today, November 10, I am by my dad’s count 39 years old for the 31st time. It of course feels no different from … Continue reading
I don’t want to re-engage here the by now much-overworked debate as to whether there is a coherent message or an identifiable plan emerging from the “occupy” movements, or whether those movements will survive the winter snows of Boston or … Continue reading
When I was an up-and-coming lawyer I moved my young family to the top of Belmont Hill, a pretty fancy address with big lawns and big mortgages. It was then that I started to have “the nightmare” that sometimes even … Continue reading
Normally it is better to attend any event in person, rather than suffering the misimpressions, disconnection (and commercials) dictated by television. I remember for example how much the people who saw on television my favorite fight, Sugar Ray Leonard beating up Marvelous Marvin Hagler under … Continue reading
Why does public debate focus on the wrong questions? It is not about whether the pledge of allegiance has educational value or is fascist. It is about whether it violates the establishment clause of the Constitution (as does our form … Continue reading
Our economy is deeply distressed and won’t get better soon because our problems are systemic and will not respond to any of the policies recommended by either party. The trigger for this blog is last Thursday night’s debate of Republican … Continue reading