The Most Important Four Letter Word Right Now: VOTE

It has been too long since my last entry to this site. The main message that needs to be communicated now, as I sit at my desk and appreciate those golden leaves that were not undermined by two early snows, is simple: VOTE.

The time lapse between articles is not due to an early retirement—-I remain among the ranks of “active” attorneys. Nor can I blame Covid-19 for my absence of postings, as I am (knock wood) healthy and already accustomed to toiling from a home office. Several draft articles could have been posted. I have started several more in my head and on my computer. Yet no updated posts appeared on my website.

Previously it seemed that there was time enough to identify and describe a legal concept or event and tease it into a post. For example, earlier footnotes discussed gerrymandering cases before the Supreme Court of the United States as well as constitutional issues arising from the “emoluments” clause. I still have the time to devote to writing, but the sheer volume of new and changing legal news caused what I can only describe as a blogger’s whiplash!

Each day the legal landscape changed dramatically. The Supreme Court issued new and often conflicting opinions, causing chain reactions in lower courts and various states. The “earth of legal analysis” shifted so often that I could not keep up in a way that fully explored any nuance or provided updates prior postings. There was just too much news.

Overwhelmed by so many competing and important developments, I retreated. There was so much to write about that I could hardly write at all.

At least I could hardly write in this venue. Rather, I took to the option of postcards to regions throughout the United States. My left [dominant] hand had ink stains and writer’s cramp. Hunched over stacks of postcards on my kitchen island, I urged voters to exercise their right to vote in many contested elections. Not content to do this solo, I recruited my four-legged partner, Liam, to become the spokes-fur-son in these efforts. Liam appears above with the message : “VOTING BY MAIL IS SAFE, DEPENDABLE and PET-RIOTIC.” (Liam is a very clever colleague.)

As November 3, 2020 approaches, Liam’s message should be modified to reflect that ballots should not be mailed in certain jurisdictions, if they haven’t been posted already. If you have not yet voted, find out what voting options exist in your state and county by checking with your County Clerk and Recorder or Secretary of State. Vote with your head and your heart… and make sure your ballot gets to where it needs to be by November 3, 2020.

Both Liam and I are hopeful that my blogger’s whiplash subsides. More fundamentally, may we all “test positive” for optimism, integrity and dedication as we deal with fashioning a healthier, more compassionate society.

VOTE—-The most important four-letter word we can utter right now.