May 15, 2010

Dear Sis~

I forgot to mention that last month I reeived an unsolicited, rather large envelope from an Eastern Orthodox Church Fellowship in St Augustine containing three hand-drawn Easter cards (crayons on colored construction paper) made by little children, each of whom signed their card with a looping, childish signature. The cards had pictures of angels, of Christ, and other Biblical references and expressed love for mankind in general and me in particular.  It was easy to picture these kids at a table, their little faces screwed up in concentration as they earnestly drew and clored in each card.  These cards were very sweet and really touched my heart; the evident sincerity and genuine affection typical of a young kid's heart inexplicably filled me with joy.  I guess it's a function of being in a cell for so many years with no exposure to the gentler things in life (like the innocence of the little ones), to suddenly experience some unexpected kindness takes on an oversized importance.  Anyway, it was very sweet and I'm very grateful for what turned out to be a true gift.  I wrote the fellowship a warm thank you note letting them know how much it meant to me...
 From what I'm learning about Elena Kagan I think she'll make a fine Supreme Court Justice.  Nobody can replace Stevens; he's a lion and a giant among the small-minded, pinched-perspective ultra conservative Republicans dominating the court (Scalia, alito, Roberts, and the Uncle Tom yes-man, lap dog Thomas) but, as the saying goes, nobody n the world is irreplaceable.  Stevens' time has come and gone, unfortunately, and someone must now fill his shoes.  Kagan is cut from excellent cloth and my expectations are high.  At 50, Kagan is relatively young and should be making her mark on the court for the next 25 years...
I've finally finished my last big legal project - about 8 weeks of hard work, followed by great relief in completing the task - and now I'm taking a well-deserved break.  Lots of recreational reading and relaxing ahead, at least until the next job.
Light & Love,
Bill