The Moral Chorale

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Leslie Sigal Javorek | Leave a comment

Posted by: Leslie Sigal Javorek • Date: Fri, Oct 16, 2009 1:30 am

The other day, Ali Ersen Erol, posted a comment to my earlier post, “Thoughts on Truth and Justice” which lead me to recall a bit of an old quote about legislating morality. At the time, I could not recall the full quotation and so tonight I got around to looking it up. Turns out it was from a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. in which he stated:

“Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

I’m wondering: If playing too many violent video games can desensitize kids to violence, if viewing fast food commercials late at night can make you hungry, if regularly going to porn sites can blur the lines between passion and debasement, and if frequent exposure to shopping malls and e-bay can lure even the most frugal to be more willing to spend, then why are we human beings not as easily swayed by positive messages and role models?

Why is it so much harder to convince people to strive to be kind, loving, forgiving, and honest than it is to entice them to be greedy, gluttonous, shallow, callow, vengeful and selfish? It seems that either you’re born with an understanding of honor and morality or you’re not. Not to say it’s not important to teach our children right from wrong but I do wonder whether such education and role-modeling has any positive effect at all unless an individual has the ability in the brain to receive those messages, which are apparently far more subtle and esoteric than their negative counterparts. Am I wrong about this? Or are we forever doomed only to be able to preach to the choir?

A few more words on the subject of morality from men and women far wiser than I…

“It is not what a lawyer tells me I may do, but what humanity, reason, and justice tell me I ought to do.” – Edmund Burke (Irish statesman and orator, 1729-1797)

“There is no readier way for a man to bring his own worth into question than by endeavoring to detract from the worth of other men.” – John Tillotson (English prelate, 1630-1694)

“You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. president, 1809-1865)

“Tell the truth, and so puzzle and confound your adversaries.” – Henry Wotton, Sr. (English author and diplomat, 1568-1639)

“The man who fears no truth has nothing to fear from lies.” – Thomas Jefferson (3rd U.S. president, 1762-1826)

“Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace.” – Dwight David Eisenhower (34th U.S. president, 1890-1969)

“In a controversy, the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for truth and have begun striving for ourselves.” – Abraham J. Heschel (Jewish theologian and philosopher, 1907-1972)

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Lawyers, Guns & Money

Posted on October 10, 2009 by Leslie Sigal Javorek | Leave a comment

Posted by: Leslie Sigal Javorek • Date: Sat, Oct 10, 2009 6:30 pm

Another day, Another brief, Another month, Another year and on and on it goes in the great mandala of a life caught between a cranky bear who’s hobby it is to play with the law as if it were a handful of Silly Putty® to be molded at will. But this, too, shall one day pass. Despite the few instances I’ve experienced of either judicial naïvety, short-sightedness, laziness, or mistake, and the paranoid nay-sayers who see the world through stereotyped lenses, I refuse to believe that “justice” is always and only a fairy tale controlled by wicked and wealthy. I understand the necessity of being overtly cautious to protect against the possibility of an innocent defendant. While at times I may wonder whether there’s as much open-mindedness and concern for the possibility of an honest and innocent plaintiff, I know that I just need to be patient and keep myself above the fray by not allowing myself to be ruffled by the seemingly never-ending barrage of attacks on my character that have no basis in truth nor allowing myself to become bitter or to lose my self-respect by behaving in kind. I honestly am hopeful that at least this time the truth will prevail so that my little family can move forward and I can live out the rest of my days in peace.

Forgive me, my world-wide friends, for being somewhat cryptic in these melancholy postings about my present legal woes. I would spill all if I could but do not wish to jeopardize the integrity of my case and, while it may sound strange to many, despite all the harm I’ve suffered at the hands of someone I had expected better from I really have no desire to add-on to his/her woes by broadcasting their humiliation. Even the mean and the guilty deserve compassion and the room to pull themselves out of the mud with the dignity of one who is truly repentant.

I know that my attitude as felt in my heart and expressed by my words is not as entertaining as those with a more flippant point of view who may advocate the sentiment of Warren Zevon’s anthem, “Gimme Lawyers, Guns and Money”, but I’m not a total dullard or goody-goody as my hands seem to get the better of me at times and create all this snickering, sarcastic artwork behind my back at nights and slip it in at the bottom of my posts… 😉

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Legal Adversaries, Old Flames & Divine Irony

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Leslie Sigal Javorek | Leave a comment

Posted by: Leslie Sigal Javorek • Date: Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:25 am

Many moons ago, my hubby penned a song that was inspired by a rather unpleasant conversation he had with a former girlfriend whose (then) husband had invited us to a party at their apartment. That song, entitled “Don’t Paint Me”, has always been one of my favorites of his original compositions for a number of reasons, not the least of which is due to the memory of his band (“Halo”) performing it one night at a local bar. At the table next to me was a group of rowdy people getting off on the music and beer and I could not help but notice that in the center of that group was the infamous ex-girlfriend who was excitedly bragging to those around her how she used to date that sexy lead guitarist in the white suit. The fun part was that she was completely oblivious to the fact that the lyrics being sung at that very moment were a biting commentary about her less than honorable character.

“Don’t Paint Me”

You trace the face of friends so dear

You draw them in the dust

Painting words you choose with careless colors.

You draw my blood for red highlights

Green jealousy flashes your eyes

Don’t admit the sky is blue, it might strain you.

Argue with your arguments

Don’t argue with your friends.

The wisdom you claim is claimed by you alone dear.

Argue with your arguments

Don’t argue with your friends

The freedom you take may already be taken.

Ear can hear yes language speaks

To memories that you choose

You believe the past, refuse what’s coming.

Pain has faded and run from my heart

You will oh please take your fine fat tongue

And wind it up, never more to bark.

Show me your friends and I’ll show you you are who you reconstruct me to be

Change me only in your mind, don’t affect me.

Changes you see are lies to your eyes

If wishes are all that they can be

Your mind it paints my actions to look like your dreams

What brought this song to mind tonight were the documents I was reviewing for a planned discussion with my attorney tomorrow. I’ve been trapped in a nightmare of a lawsuit going on close to a dozen years now but until tonight I had never thought of how apt Don’s lyrics were for my self-proclaimed adversary. Details of the case itself deserve a blog or a book of its own but I’ll leave that for another lifetime. Until then, my friends, I hope you’ll be satisfied with another round of legal-oriented icons, the creation of which is part of my stress-reduction therapy.

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The following images are either full or reduced size previews. Simply right-click (or control-click) on the preview to save the image(s) of your choice to your desktop. (Unless otherwise noted, downloads are 512px X 512px in .png format). As always, usage of any of the images offered in the “Free Clip-Art / Icons of the Day” section are free for your personal use, subject to the limitations of my Creative Commons Non-Commercial – Attribution – No Derivatives – Share Alike- 3.0 license. (See sidebar for Terms of Use) For commercial or any other use, please contact me for directly.