Harper Lee’s masterpiece,
To Kill a Mockingbird, changed my life. I read it when I was a teenager, and it’s influence was so great that it became an inspiration for my becoming a lawyer. The search for truth and justice, battling racial prejudice in a society with antiquated values and the struggles of a small town attorney trying to balance family and career really struck home.
Atticus Finch, who was based upon Lee’s own attorney father, also reminded me of my own grandfather, Raymond Lewis Bainder, an eminent Baltimore attorney. “Grandpa Lew” was the epitome of tolerance and understanding, and represented people from all walks and strata of life regardless of their ability compensate him for his services. Similar to Atticus, he also received payment in vegetables or poultry. My grandfather was also the first Maryland attorney to receive a pardon for a death row client accused of murder. Convinced of his client’s innocence, “Grandpa Lew” appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court and was denied certiorari, and after gathering persuasive evidence to set his client free, he sought a remedy from a higher power- The President of the United States. Persuaded by proof of mistaken identity, President Harry S. Truman pardoned his client. This is a feat that few attorneys accomplish in their lifetime.
To this day, my grandfather’s and Atticus’s unrelenting battle for justice and equality sparks my admiration. As a nation we should not falter in our pledge of allegiance to be "one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all." We should take this mandate to heart as we consider the injustices that have given rise to the slaying of George Floyd and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Beneath the color of our skin, we are all human beings, and everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
As we march forward with a new civil rights movement, we should peacefully keep the momentum alive - not only with our voices, but through our actions - to implement positive change in America. Remember that the most significant way to implement change is to VOTE.
Also, we shouldn’t let our guard down on our invisible nano-enemy, which is ravaging us regardless our race, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or political affiliation. Mercifully, the infection and death numbers have waned in New York, however, they are climbing elsewhere in the United States like the South and Southwest. We must remain vigilant even though we yearn to dine out, visit family and friends, take vacations and get haircuts. Every life is precious and we should take every avenue available to protect our loved ones and ourselves.
Please wear your masks, wash your hands and social distance. Sowing today’s sacrifices will yield tomorrow’s bounty, just like in our gardens.
Until next time, take care and stay safe.
