Recurrent Themes

This is kind of new. I'm having experiences or hearing stories that are lining up to the point that I recognize them as 'themes'. I've had several this week. I've heard stories on the radio, read editorials in the paper and magazines and have had several conversations that deal with all sorts of complexities and here is the current theme: unintended consequences.

My enlightenment began with a friend earlier this week on the testimony to Congress on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor for recommendation to the Supreme Court. We were remarking that they (individuals of the conservative male persuasion) were certainly hellbent on nailing her with the 'wise Latina' remark that she has apparently made in speeches regarding the issue of judgement. I believe it is not only clear that the phrase was taken out of context, but it seems obvious to anyone who writes or makes speeches, that often a certain line or phrase is used to motivate or elicit a positive reaction to targeted groups. When the phrases work, you use them often. She said as much in her quote below:

"I gave a variant of my speech to a variety of different groups - most often, to groups of women lawyers, or to groups most particularly of young Latino lawyers and students. ... I was trying to inspire them to believe that their life experiences would enrich the legal system because different life experiences and backgrounds always do. I don't think that there is a quarrel with that in our society."

No doubt Judge Sotomayor did not imagine how those simple words would become the focus by an interrogation of mostly Southern white men, hammering her with that phrase again and again, regarding her nomination to the Supreme Court.

Later in the week I was telling a work friend about a story I'd hear on NPR. The fellow being interviewed lives on the Border in Texas and the conversation was about the folly of building a 'wall' on the border between Mexico and the US. One of the points of this interview I was telling my friend about was the drug aspect and the view of this man, that drugs should be legalized. His view was to define the unintended consequence of criminalizing individuals in possession of drugs - is that we now have a very bloated prison and criminal justice system. Drug sellers should be prosecuted, drug addicts should be steered towards treatment. Drug addiction brings its own natural consequences regarding the inability to work and to function daily - being incarcerated doesn't work towards resolving the individuals problem. I tend to agree; however, the complexity of the issue at hand that day, regarding the wall, made this just ONE of the issues that needs to be addressed - and all the issues are entwined in a rather large 'ball of confusion'.

These were just two of the issues in this realm of realization this week. Others included the fact that now that we're scared to death of not having jobs or losing our homes - the American people are doing what they should have been doing all along. Saving money. The unintended consequence is - we need to be spending money to help move the economy forward and help people keep their jobs.

And now I finally get this phrase - no good deed goes unpunished.