Another Golden One

Again, my First Amendment prof makes my day:

The KKK are equal opportunity haters...they hate everyone.

This was noted after reading Virginia v. Black, in which, inter alia, it was O.K. for the "klan" to get together and burn a cross during a rally about how they hate certain people...i.e., people who weren't a part of their group. LoL, I wonder what songs they were chanting.

The Language of Love

One of the most common problems between men and women is that they don't understand each other. That isn't because either sex is incapable. I think it is because people think and act in their own terms; their ways of showing affection are self-oriented. To facilitate communication, I think men and women should learn to speak a language of love.

Speaking the language of love, there is no better example than how Jesus expressed his love for us. To show us he loved us, he gave his life, himself. Because we were unable to act Godly and not sin, he took the punishment: death. He conquered death for us. In return, he asks us to do the same thing; we are to die to this world and be "born again" (like Christ was when he was "risen") and live a new life, modeled after his own. In love, we should give ourselves back to him.

Men and women should learn from this example. When communicating, when showing affection and love, they should start thinking about how they can give themselves to the one they love. Say, for example, I write poems for the person I love, be it a family member, a boyfriend, or a friend. That is most likely because that is how I want love to be shown. "Do unto others as you would have then to unto you." Therefore, if anyone wants to show me love in return, they should try writing me a poem, a letter, or something small like that. Speak my language. And, I should do the same in return. I should give whatever it is the other person needs.

It is said love is not selfish; that is true. But at the same time, it is thoughtful. For many reasons, sometimes people seem to need more than at other times. Loving them, we should unselfishly give ourselves by taking time and understanding what it is they need.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following is republished in the comments, but since it goes to the substance of the post, I thought I would paste it here:

The most important thing is, my entry isn't based on expectations of the first person, but the perceptions of the other person. We should be discerning enough to perceive what the other person needs. In fact, if we expect anything in relationships, that is often disappointing and destructive. What I'm trying to say is, in relationships, when showing love and affection, we shouldn't show it in ways we desire, but in ways the other person desires. When I show my family I love them, I do it in their terms (my mom loves to talk, so I listen!).

i carry your heart with me

By: e. e. cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

Defensive Driving

According to a new poll, Americans are getting ruder. "From road rage in the morning commute to high decibel cell-phone conversations that ruin dinner out, men and women behaving badly has become the hallmark of a hurry-up world." "The most common complaint about rudeness in the poll was aggressive or reckless driving, with 91 percent citing it as the most frequent discourtesy."

Anyone who knows me knows that I am an aggressive driver. Therefore, I must take up the cross as it were, and perform my duties as an aggressive driver apologist.

It must be noted that, with exceptions, most drivers become "aggressive" and "rude" when another driver...a sloooowwwww driver...cuts in front of him or her. Take the following senario as an example. You are late. Very late. If you are good enough, you can just make it to (fill in the blank with an important place) on time. You are in the middle lane; people are filling up the right and left lanes to turn right up at the light ahead. The person in front of you gets over into the right lane, and the road in clear until past the light...you will make it! Then, just as you hit 30 mph, a mini-van "merges" in front of you (I would prefer "cuts", but I'll be nice). The driver proceeds to go slowly, causing you to miss the light. UGH!

There are many such examples. Sllloooowwww drivers going 10 mph below the speedlimit, coming to complete stops before turning, not using their indicators, stopping at yellow lights, sitting at stop signs waiting for everyone and his brother to go first (out of the order learned long ago in driver's ed). Though I would make the argument that they create us, slow drivers at the very least perpetuate the aggression and rudeness in those of us who actually like to get where we are going.

So I say to those of you who drive in two lanes, who drive slowly in the left lane versus the right lane like you should, who seem uncaring that the person behind is late and needs you to move over, YOU should stop being so selfish. Stop being selfish enough to think the road is yours alone; move over, to that right lane where you belong, obey more of the traffic laws, and I bet you will notice a marked decrease in the aggression of other drivers.

Quote of the Day

From my First Amendment Professor

The Supreme Court is here is save the day, to keep the world safe from or for democracy, I'll let you decide which.

Bring It!

I Love Cold Weather!

Please Make It Stay!

My Favorite Branch

Law.com had a story about the new Chief Justice. Here are some of my favorite quotes. They show both the history and oddities of my favorite branch of government.

The first day of the Court's fall term began early, with senior Justice John Paul Stevens administering a ceremonial oath to Roberts, who had been sworn in more formally last Thursday. President George W. Bush looked on from the seat in the Court reserved for -- but rarely used by -- the president.

Stevens also noted that in his previous career in the Solicitor General's Office and in private practice, Roberts had argued 39 cases before the Court, "a number that exceeds the combined experience of the rest of us. We know him well, and he has already earned our respect and admiration."

The Miers announcement overshadowed the pageantry of the Court ceremony somewhat and was the buzz among the luminaries on hand. "A stealth candidate, par excellence" was the verdict on Miers from Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe, who had been invited to attend by Roberts, a former student in his constitutional law class. But the formalities were in keeping with Court traditions. Before he was sworn in, Roberts sat waiting in a chair below the Court's bench. As expected, the sleeves of his black robe carried no golden stripes; Roberts has apparently allowed Rehnquist's Gilbert & Sullivan-inspired wardrobe innovation to lapse.

Roberts asked five questions in the first case and seven in the second, placing him in the "moderately active" category in comparison with his colleagues -- about the same number that Stevens asks, fewer than Antonin Scalia usually asks, but far more than Clarence Thomas. In a single day, Roberts asked lawyers more questions than Thomas has asked in several terms combined.

And that was just day one! Love it!