The Lawyer vs. The Working Man
What is a criminal lawyer? Redundant. That is one of the many jokes about lawyers that we chuckle over on a regular basis in this country. There can be no doubt that many of the problems this nation faces stem from our over litigiousness as a society. Hair Dryers have warning labels to “not use while sleeping” and McDonald’s has to warn its customers that their coffee is served hot. While the citizenry certainly bears much of the responsibility for this frivolity, the trial lawyers who make upwards of 40% of the winnings per lawsuit are the impetus for the stupidity. How then, can we expect these same people to work against the nature of their training in the halls of Congress?

I am NOT a lawyer. Lawyers are FAR over-represented in Congress. Well over 40% of House members and over 60% of Senators are lawyers, or have practiced law in the past. Some, including Representative Barney Frank, have not even practiced privately, and instead have used their legal prowess to turn our Great Nation into a nanny state. It is ironic that we leave the heavy legislative lifting to people that we castigate with jokes in real life.

So, in a country that seemed so ready in ‘08 to embrace “change,” how foolish is it to send the same old political class to represent us in D.C.? Isn’t it about time we sent someone to Washington that worked less for their own fortune in the public sector and more for the people they claim to represent?

Put another way, why do we believe that people who practice law will be wiser and smarter when it’s time to make laws? This seems a bit counter-intuitive and highly counterproductive to me, especially when the supreme wisdom that comes from carrying a law degree has only perpetuated inefficiency and bad legislation in the past. Also, in my opinion, this runs a bit contrary to the Constitution’s “Separation of Powers” clause, at least insofar as most lawyers in congress continue to practice, making them members of the Judiciary branch on some level. Just sayin’.

And, after all, isn’t doing the same thing, and expecting different results, the definition of insanity? Why don’t we try something different? Could it possibly put us in a more difficult situation than we face now? I tend to doubt it and I know, if you allow yourself to look at it logically, you will too.