The Liberal Do-Gooders

I was at our school's public interest law retreat this weekend. Panels on human trafficking, human rights, civil rights, judicial nominations, etc. etc in the rustic setting of a camp in the rolling, wooded hills of almost southern Indiana.

Ummm...Brian what were YOU doing there? Okay, first I resent the implication that my reputation is an extreme parady of some rabid Social Security stealing, tax cuts for the corporations, everyone fend for themselves, nuke them all till they glow in the dark conservative. I'm sure I could come up with some over-the-top parady of tree hugging, can't we all just get along, more social welfare spending liberal as well. Remeber from the political test I am a libertarian. No Brian you went for the free food and you thought alcohol would be there, right? I admit we all thought alcohol would be there, but that isn't why I went.

One, I am interested in public interest work. Granted it is from a different point of view than most people, but I simply want the world to be a better place just like they do. Second, by being exposed to different ideologies than my own I am enriched through the process. It helps me define who I am. It helps me see other points of view. It helps me find weaker points in my thoughts and forces me to strengthen them. Some of my most interesting conversations lately have been with those "liberal do-gooders" and I've loved it. We intellectually spar, we treat each other with dignity, we recognize the value of the other person's ideas and beliefs. I've earned the respect several people who some of you would think hate my guts because of the differences in our belief systems. What a shame that so many no longer believe you can be friends with those of different intellectual faiths. What does that say of us as a society?

Of course I have qualms about many of those "liberal do-gooders" when they attack situations that in my opinion are more of a "well sometimes life just sucks, but it isn't really a legal problem" instead of issues that I believe would be more valuable of their time. But I like them and some of them I count as friends and look forward to seeing them in action upon graduation. Those "liberal do-gooders" will keep the system honest, and I truly like an honest and fair system.