Stuck

People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.


James Baldwin
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Hello Val
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When I was a senior in high school I went on a field trip to Washington, D.C. Part of the trip was a visit with one of the Supreme Court Justices, Harold Burton. In his office Judge Burton showed us the files of books on his shelf. They were records of all the disputations, opinions and decisions of the Supreme Court dating back to its very first session. There were pieces of paper jutting out of the tops of many of the books and he explained that every time a former case was entered into the proceedings of the Court he would place a marker in that case for reminders.

Consider that man's library, the libraries of the other 8 judges, the libraries of all the various state and municipal courts throughout the country, the records of the US Senate and House of Representatives, state and local governments, and we find a vast and complex history of the legal proceedings of our land.

And the Unites States is just a mere 236 years old. Imagine what exists in other countries with a conscientious legal tradition, Great Britain for example, which could go back for thousands of years. It seems as though world history is written in laws and jurisprudence, and that a judge could not make a righteous decision without consulting the legal minds that went before him all the way back to the beginning, Hammurabi.

The history of the world is not all written in laws of course, but it is one way we can get trapped into derivative thinking. There are also the unwritten laws: custom, tradition, legend, lore. The human race loves its tractions, religious and secular. Some of those traditions come from ancient legends and superstitions, handed down without much question from generation to generation. But many of them still have a powerful influence on our behavior.

Some people are obsessed with keeping records even when there is no need. Some live their lives by the zodiac or other heavenly influences. Some do what their fathers and grandfathers and great grandfathers did, carrying on a family tradition. Some people carry hereditary beliefs with them and others believe there is a genetic streak in a family line that produces their behavior.

I can see how easy it is to move unnoticeably from the dry, sturdy, dependable world of legal tomes to the colorful, mysterious, uncertain world of superstition, completely passing the world of natural law on both sides.

Oh how easy it is to get trapped ! !

DB _Vagabond Journeys No. 1892
Never give up.

Right Rhetoric 3/27/09

No one has a finer command of language than the person who keeps his mouth shut.

Sam Rayburn
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Hello.
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I actually met Sam Rayburn one day. When I was in high school our class took a trip to Washington D. C.. It was a very educational experience. We met some interesting people and went on some tours, a few of which were fun. We had a guided tour of the FBI which was fascinating and a tour of the Treasury Building which wasn't, (at least not to me since I don't know anything about money).

We met with one of our Senators, Jacob Javits, who spoke about how the Senate was reaching out to governments around the world from a position of bipartisan strength.

We met with Justice Harold Burton of the Supreme Court who explained how he went back over other relevant Supreme Court decisions since the beginning to help him reach a decision.

We had a brief chat with Margaret Chase Smith, who was the first and only female Senator at that time. She was from Maine. (Leave it to the New Englanders to kick down walls. My New England friends will agree.)

We got to watch the Senate in session which was by far the least interesting thing we did. Unlike members of the House of Representatives, who have a time limit, Senators can basically speak for as long as they want to. It takes a vote of the whole Senate to shut them up.

Sam Rayburn was a man of few words, but they were eloquent ones. During the few minute we were with him he described the machinations of Congress and what his responsibilities were. as Speaker of the House. I came away with the impression that the country was run by conversations in private, over the telephone and by inter-office memos, what today would be emails and faxes, and that a lot of it takes place in what they call "behind closed doors" and not on the floors of the House or Senate. Those are where the votes take place, of course. But by the time things get to a vote there are very few surprises.

All in all it was a fascinating venture into the jungle of big government and anyone who can should do it.

DB - Vagabond Journeys
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Blessings on your day.
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