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Dear Friends of the Firm,
Much has happened since my last letter to you. We celebrated Father’s Day, Juneteen and Pride. Daniele Green began as our newest and final Summer Legal Intern of 2022. I submitted an article to the Paraclete, the publication of the St. Petersburg Bar Association, which will be published in the next issue. However, perhaps the most notable and controversial things that happened were those having to do with our system of justice, including numerous controversial United States Supreme Court Decisions.
One decision was that which greatly broadened the Second Amendment. For gun advocates, this was a victory. For advocates of stronger gun laws, this was a major setback. In reality, this will likely not change most of the day-to-day lives of most Americans.
Another decision was one that broadened the amount of religious practice one can perform in a school-setting. For some, this was a strengthening of the Freedom of Religion. For others, this was a weakening of the separation of church and state, and they argued that had the prayer been led by someone practicing Islam, the result would have been different. In reality, this will likely not change most of the day-to-day lives of most Americans.
The biggest and likely most controversial decision was the one that overturned Roe v. Wade. This is an issue that deeply divides America, and it was also an issue that the Court decided by split decision. The fallout has already begun. This decision completely eliminated an individual American’s right to choose whether to have an abortion. Instead, the majority of the Court took this right or individual Americans, which has existed for nearly 50 years, and instead gave it to the states to decide. Now, abortion is no longer simply the right of an individual American to decide, but the state government gets the first say. Very quickly, states began adopting new legislation. Some states adopted legislation banning or restricting abortions, and other states codified the right for individual citizens of their state to choose. Some people celebrated, and others protested. It is arguably the first decision in modern time that scaled back individual liberty, instead giving power and control over Americans bodies to the government of the state. Others argue that this gives the states the power to give individual liberty to the future persons if the unborn fetus are actually born. One thing is certain, this divides America and Americans.
In light of these controversial opinions of the Court, I encourage people to remember that whatever side they fall on this issue, we are all Americans and our country cannot be united if we do not speak with one another with civility and listen with empathy. Please be kind to your fellow Americans and countrymen. We may not all agree on what rights an individual should have versus a state government, but we should be empathetic to the views of all Americans even when we disagree. This is a country of We the People, but right now, it’s looking like a country of Us the People and Them the People. That is absolutely wrong, and that views is hurting our great nation. It’s time that we practice empathy and stop fighting against our own teammates. We don’t have to disagree, but our fellow Americans are not the enemies.
This month, we are excited to celebrate the July 4th, Independence Day. We are all Americans, and though none of us are perfect, we are a great nation because we continually strive to do better. This summer, we can do better by feeling the heat of the climate, but keeping our cool with our fellow Americans. After all, we are on the same team, and when we listen, we see that. Enjoy the celebration of Independence Day, and be safe until I write you again next month.
Although the newsletter will only go out about monthly, the life and spirit of the Firm don’t stop in-between newsletters. Therefore, we believe it is only fair to keep updated on Social Media and by creating website content, such as informative articles (blogs) to keep you updated in the interim. Essentially, the newsletter will be somewhat of a highlight reel, so that you can tune into anything that you missed if you don’t want to keep up in real-time.
We are very excited about our expectations for 2022. We hope for some big things for the firm and some big things to help you.
Remember, get your legal action at the Law Firm of Douglas G. Jackson.