Activist. Vegan. Cyclist. Parent. (Almost) Criminal defense attorney.

Having the courage of your convictions. . .

I read in the paper today a story about a man who confessed, in Texas, to a murder he committed many years before when he was living here in Oregon. It was an interesting case, but nothing too spectacular except that he confessed in Richardson, Texas, where I used to live.

It didn't cross my mind again until I came home and opened my email to see this:

greetings fabulous legal activists,

i don't mean to bug u, but do u know of anyone who might be able to help this guy? his name is david lee patterson, and he killed a close friend of mine some years ago, and apparently just turned himself in down in texas. he's waived extradition and should be back in pdx shortly. he's lived on the streets for most of his life, and likely can't afford good legal help. i would really like to see him get the representation he deserves. i think the person he killed would want that too. here's the story.

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/03/373931.shtml

lemme know if u know of anyone who can help. it may be that he will find his own legal assistance, but in case not, i thought it would be good to see what i could do.

This, to me takes tremendous courage and strength to be able to set aside whatever feelings you may be having in order to extend a hand to help--because it's the right thing to do. I am awestruck by the self-less nature of the request and hope beyond hope that if I am ever called upon to make a difficult decision such as this, that I would have the wherewithal and character to choose as wisely as this person has.

First Day of Spring

springtime
Originally uploaded by jake_mrtnz

Tomorrow is officially the first day of spring. Here in Portland the plum trees and cherry blossoms are all over the place. And as much as I hate being thrown off by Daylight Savings, it's great to have so much daylight in the evening.

I was walking home from the bus stop yesterday, and the sun is still above the west hills and I was walking under one of the plum trees and was just overcome by how fortunate I am. Granted, as usual, I don't have any money and our living situation could be better, and finals and the bar exam are lurking around the corner to make the next few months a nightmare. But otherwise, I have a job that I truly enjoy, a partner who is caring and understanding, a beautiful baby girl who is healthy and growing, and a dog and cat who are both happy to see me when I get home. There never seems to be enough time to get anything--let alone everything--done and I'm constantly running from one place to the next, but for right now, I think it's great.

Teeny

mimi.jpg
Originally uploaded by jake_mrtnz

Even as she gets bigger and bigger, I cannot get over just how small she is. Looking at this picture I am floored by how miniature she is, and how good she's getting at holding her head up.

Doctor's Appointment

I have health insurance through the school.

Laura, and Amelia have insurance through the state of Oregon.

We spent the better part of our morning today trying to find a doctor who would accept the state's health plan. This is simply one more reason we've got to re-evaluate and reform the healthcare* system. Two reasonably intelligent adults cannot navigate the bureaucratic mess nor can we see the doctor we want to see because we don't have the right insurance. Essentially, low-income people are funneled to a particular subset of doctors who have more incentive to prescribe some medication than to help their patients feel better.

How in the world can conservatives, particularly religious ones, think that it's a bad idea to provide healthcare for everyone? Shouldn't everyone be able to go to the doctor of their choice and get, at the very least, the minimum amount of care? I understand why doctors and insurance companies are against it, but not why the average everyday voter is opposed.

I can only hope that one day this will be remedied. I hope there comes a time when Amelia gets sick and she doesn't have to worry that she can't get the care she needs or wants because she has the wrong insurance or none at all. We were literally turned away by a doctor today because we had the state health insurance.

God bless. America.

*Incidentally, I heard an interview with an etymologist a while back who was discussing the speed with which "health care" became "health-care" and finally "healthcare." Even now, my spellcheck does not give me a red underline for using it as one word. Words, and the way they change and the ways we use them truly fascinate me.