Hey gang,
So I sent an email to my entire list today - some of you may have gotten it - it's a combination of posts I made over the past few days.
Most of the reactions were positive, but I did get a few negative replies I'll share here, along with my responses.
As you read them, I'm curious to get your thoughts on how you might have responded - I anticipate receiving more...
First, the email:
Reflections on Injustice
Like many of you, I've watched the video of George Floyd's death in horror and anger.
And here in Brooklyn, I've personally witnessed that anger pour onto the streets.
I've debated about whether I should speak about this, but I feel I have to.
We need to do something about the fact that not everyone has access to the same opportunities others take for granted.
While there are systemic injustices that prevent equal access to educational opportunities (like test preparation), there are also more basic ones that have had tangible and fatal consequences for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others.
I believe #BlackLivesMatter.
And I believe correcting these injustices requires each and every one of us to take a stand -- to fight by speaking and acting to stop hate wherever we encounter it.
The legal profession is a political one.
And what you do with your law degree -- with your career -- with your LIFE -- is up to you.
You have the opportunity to create real structural change -- including accountability for police brutality and voting racists out of office.
You have a voice -- but you don't *just* vote at the ballot box. You also vote with your wallet, with what you post and share publicly, and how you choose to use your JD.
But please don't give up your vote by being silent or allowing yourself to be absorbed into the system.
-Steve
***
"I believe all lives matter!!!"
My response: "Of course I agree all lives matter, my friend! But there is clearly something uniquely wrong happening to our Black brothers and sisters that requires our targeted support, and that's what I focused on in this email."
"Yea, such injustices, with the same grade, Asians don't have the same chance go to a certain school compare with Blacks. the problems are not only racism, the real problem is also whether one is able to take charge of his or her life, and truly working hard on ones' dream. the real problem is, we should take at least 50% of fault on ourselves, not 100% on others. the world can't be 100% equal, but your life is in your hand."
My response: "Thanks for your reply -- but I feel like there's some kind of confusion and we're not even having the same conversation.
You're right that there are a lot of problems. But the question of affirmative action is a totally separate discussion. Right now we're talking about the issue of police brutality -- which literally has life-or-death consequences for the Black community.
It is a problem that not everyone has the same ability to take charge of their life because not everyone is born with the same opportunities - some are born with significant disadvantages, and we have to pull each other up to help everyone reach their fullest potential. But we can't blame people for their starting point."
"You have the platform to make Law School Admissions fair, use it. You know the many flaws in the process. The word holistic should not be a word used to give a prospective disadvantaged student hope. This is not right and quiet frankly outside of the lack of financial resources in the Black community the biggest issues are the six numbers(LSAT, GPA) and the lack of knowledge pertaining to the admissions process. Use your platform if you really care about equal access to a legal education."
My response: "Thanks for writing - I agree that the frequent use of "holistic" gives false hope in law school admissions.
And I actually feel like I'm a broken record when I say LSAT > GPA > Everything Else (even if it shouldn't be that way)
I feel that I do use my platform to communicate this wherever possible - if you watch my classes on YouTube, or listen to my podcasts, I say it over and over -- that the LSAT is the #1 factor in admissions.
However, I'm always open to other ideas for getting the message out."
***
The decision to "go political" can sometimes seem tricky because of the fear that some will not understand and those who speak will lose business.
And I have gotten more criticism and unsubscribes from my list since I made this post last night.
But that's ok.
Some things are worth receiving a bit of criticism and lost business.
I've also gotten an overwhelming amount of support. But there is still a LOT of hate out there. And it needs to stop. To achieve that, we need to continue speaking and act on it. (I'll soon be sharing more on my own next steps -- and I encourage others to speak and act as well.)
And while I've said "law is political" in a recent post, I want to go beyond that right now.
This is REAL LIFE for many people. This is survival.
And although I am not the target this time, it's just plain right to speak up for others, and I would want others to speak up for me.
Everyone deserves equal treatment under the law -- no exceptions.
I will leave off here and share a poem by the German priest and Nazi opponent Martin Niemöller:
"First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me."
So I sent an email to my entire list today - some of you may have gotten it - it's a combination of posts I made over the past few days.
Most of the reactions were positive, but I did get a few negative replies I'll share here, along with my responses.
As you read them, I'm curious to get your thoughts on how you might have responded - I anticipate receiving more...
First, the email:
Reflections on Injustice
Like many of you, I've watched the video of George Floyd's death in horror and anger.
And here in Brooklyn, I've personally witnessed that anger pour onto the streets.
I've debated about whether I should speak about this, but I feel I have to.
We need to do something about the fact that not everyone has access to the same opportunities others take for granted.
While there are systemic injustices that prevent equal access to educational opportunities (like test preparation), there are also more basic ones that have had tangible and fatal consequences for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others.
I believe #BlackLivesMatter.
And I believe correcting these injustices requires each and every one of us to take a stand -- to fight by speaking and acting to stop hate wherever we encounter it.
The legal profession is a political one.
And what you do with your law degree -- with your career -- with your LIFE -- is up to you.
You have the opportunity to create real structural change -- including accountability for police brutality and voting racists out of office.
You have a voice -- but you don't *just* vote at the ballot box. You also vote with your wallet, with what you post and share publicly, and how you choose to use your JD.
But please don't give up your vote by being silent or allowing yourself to be absorbed into the system.
-Steve
***
"I believe all lives matter!!!"
My response: "Of course I agree all lives matter, my friend! But there is clearly something uniquely wrong happening to our Black brothers and sisters that requires our targeted support, and that's what I focused on in this email."
"Yea, such injustices, with the same grade, Asians don't have the same chance go to a certain school compare with Blacks. the problems are not only racism, the real problem is also whether one is able to take charge of his or her life, and truly working hard on ones' dream. the real problem is, we should take at least 50% of fault on ourselves, not 100% on others. the world can't be 100% equal, but your life is in your hand."
My response: "Thanks for your reply -- but I feel like there's some kind of confusion and we're not even having the same conversation.
You're right that there are a lot of problems. But the question of affirmative action is a totally separate discussion. Right now we're talking about the issue of police brutality -- which literally has life-or-death consequences for the Black community.
It is a problem that not everyone has the same ability to take charge of their life because not everyone is born with the same opportunities - some are born with significant disadvantages, and we have to pull each other up to help everyone reach their fullest potential. But we can't blame people for their starting point."
"You have the platform to make Law School Admissions fair, use it. You know the many flaws in the process. The word holistic should not be a word used to give a prospective disadvantaged student hope. This is not right and quiet frankly outside of the lack of financial resources in the Black community the biggest issues are the six numbers(LSAT, GPA) and the lack of knowledge pertaining to the admissions process. Use your platform if you really care about equal access to a legal education."
My response: "Thanks for writing - I agree that the frequent use of "holistic" gives false hope in law school admissions.
And I actually feel like I'm a broken record when I say LSAT > GPA > Everything Else (even if it shouldn't be that way)
I feel that I do use my platform to communicate this wherever possible - if you watch my classes on YouTube, or listen to my podcasts, I say it over and over -- that the LSAT is the #1 factor in admissions.
However, I'm always open to other ideas for getting the message out."
***
The decision to "go political" can sometimes seem tricky because of the fear that some will not understand and those who speak will lose business.
And I have gotten more criticism and unsubscribes from my list since I made this post last night.
But that's ok.
Some things are worth receiving a bit of criticism and lost business.
I've also gotten an overwhelming amount of support. But there is still a LOT of hate out there. And it needs to stop. To achieve that, we need to continue speaking and act on it. (I'll soon be sharing more on my own next steps -- and I encourage others to speak and act as well.)
And while I've said "law is political" in a recent post, I want to go beyond that right now.
This is REAL LIFE for many people. This is survival.
And although I am not the target this time, it's just plain right to speak up for others, and I would want others to speak up for me.
Everyone deserves equal treatment under the law -- no exceptions.
I will leave off here and share a poem by the German priest and Nazi opponent Martin Niemöller:
"First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me."
No comments:
Post a Comment