Dissent Decree » politics

The Challenge of Occupy Lansing

Mike — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:59:45 +0000

My wife and I attended the Occupy Lansing demonstration at Michigan’s state capitol building on the 15^th of this month. It was remarkable for the intelligence and civility on display.

Contrary to the criticism of some writers in the Lansing State Journal, that this demonstration and its Occupy Wall Street counterparts in other cities are without focus, I found the focus clear and apparent. Stated simply, it is time for citizens in this democracy to reclaim and assert their moral and legal rights in the face of rampant corporate greed, incompetent and uncaring government, a biased and partisan Supreme Court, and a banking industry that through its callous disregard for the nation’s well being has driven this country to the brink of disaster.

The speakers I heard did not condescend to those assembled. Instead they addressed complex issues with words and facts that reflect the enormity of this nation’s situation and its many dimensions—legal, social, environmental, political, medical, financial and moral.

Occupy Lansing was an invitation to dialogue, challenge, think, observe, learn and awaken as people—as citizens.

A Legal Mind-set

Mike — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:04:50 +0000

Recent articles in the Lansing State Journal told of lawsuits filed by Cooley Law School against a New York law firm and several bloggers. Cooley says it is defending its reputation in light of allegations that it has an excessive number of students defaulting on their student loans, an unusually high dropout rate and that it has published questionable employment figures for its graduates.

Whatever the truth of those allegations a larger question looms. That is the abundance of lawyers in our society and the disproportionate effect of the legal mindset upon our society and government.

Michigan has more than 40,000 licensed attorneys, and each year the law schools graduate more. Where will they find work? And what is the correlation between this abundance of lawyers, the number of frivolous lawsuits and the public’s increasing distrust of lawyers and government?

Consider the current Congress (112^th) of the United States. There are 148 lawyers serving in the House and 52 lawyers serving in the Senate. By comparison there are 15 medical doctors serving in House and 2 in the Senate. In the House there is 1 physicist, 6 engineers and 17 farmers. So whose professional influence and approach to problem solving is likely to dominate?

Much of the political circus in Washington owes its mediocrity, inefficiency, ineffectiveness, waste and lack of imagination to an entrenched legal mindset with its emphasis upon winning. The interminable arguments and legal maneuverings too often negate meaningful, substantive, timely, and effective action and have brought our country to its economic and cultural knees.

Our adversarial legal system teaches that the client, no matter how reprehensible he, she or it may be, is entitled to the best legal representation. So when lawyers are elected to public office they come predisposed to framing every issue as a contest—as something to be argued and won. The problem is that the greater public good isn’t easily identified or defined as a client or contest. Nor can it lobby for itself or sign checks.

NOTE: Columnist John Schneider published portions of this piece in his blog in the Lansing State Journal. Responses to the remarks may be seen here.

The New American Bank Card

Mike — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 12:01:34 +0000

The American Bankers Indiscriminate Spending Alliance (BISA) now offers this versatile and convenient card to all its members. Smart bankers never leave home without one, and that’s why they still have homes. If you are a banker get yours today and everyday. Call your favorite congressperson, senator or lobbyist to apply. Why wait? You could be spending so much more.

Peace, Love, Lock and Load

Mike — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:34:24 +0000

Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, this July (2010), signed the so called “gun-in-church” law. According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune the governor signed House Bill 1272 which allows Louisiana citizens, holding concealed weapons permits, to carry loaded weapons into churches, mosques and synagogues. No doubt this will help them reflect upon peace, love and the teachings of their faith.

The Daily Demo

Mike — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 20:27:22 +0000

From my office window I can see Michigan’s State Capitol building. On most workdays, during the spring and summer, there are organized demonstrations on the capitol lawn, each addressing a particular issue or grievance.

Today’s demonstration (24 June 2010) was huge. It was the Michigan Education Association and they were well organized—several thousand of them in coordinated tee-shirts. They arrived by the busload. Large circus style tents covered the grounds and as a mark of just how organized this demonstration was there were no less than 10 porta-potties on the southside sidewalk and behind the capitol sat 5 state police cruisers.

A couple of weeks ago it was the motorcyclists protesting the Michigan law that requires them to wear helmets. I appreciate their logic. If they prefer to have their unprotected heads smash the concrete at sixty miles an hour what’s the point of government trying to protect them?

Anyway, my point here is not about the MEA or helmet laws, it’s about demonstrations. Do they accomplish anything other than making the demonstrators feel better? I doubt it. As I said I see them almost every working day. And they follow the same pattern. Someone, or several someones, mount the capitol steps and deliver righteous messages to the assembled believers. At key moments the demonstrators hoot, cheer, clap and wave their signs in the air. But rarely do the legislators or governor come out to meet the crowd—unless they are in the midst of a reelection campaign. Mostly, it’s the demonstrators demonstrating for themselves and the amusement of the lunch crowd. It’s purely theater and most of it amateur.

In his TED video, Political Change with Pen and Paper, Omar Ahmad claims the most effective way to get the attention of legislators is to write them letters—handwritten. When they receive thousands of hand written letters they pay attention. However, when they look out their windows and see signs and placards bobbing up and down, it’s just another day at work. Letters are personal. Bobbing signs are anonymous.

It takes tremendous energy and money to move tens, hundreds and even thousands of people to converge on a single location, there to vent their frustrations and express their views—particularly when tomorrow there will be yet another performance by another group and the day after that another. And to what avail? Inside the walls of government the deals are made based upon political and personal expedience and favoritism. If bricks and bullets aren’t coming through the windows the demonstrations outside are of no more concern than the day’s weather.