Ignorance May Be Bliss, But in the End, it's Still Stupidity...

So lately I've been focusing on my workload lately and haven't been really been finding much that really fit into the theme of my blog to write about until like last week. My assimilation theme or lack thereof continued on yesterday, and again it was something that my partners and I conduct with the utmost pride and care. Now I won't sit here and divulge all of the marketing tactics of my great firm, but just know that we have somethings up our sleeves; besides in a business where the abundance of perspective representation may cloud the judgment of those seeking quality, you have to do things that separate yourselves from the rest of the field.

I am an advocate for my people, in fact, I'm so pro-black that I often struggle with the fact that others may consider me a racist. The funny part is that sometimes I think of myself as a racist and I think that my defense that I can't be a racist because I have white friends is evidence towards me being racially insensitive. However, I was raised in the deep, deep, dirty south where ignorance is a way of life that exceeds the traditional boundaries of race and upbringing. And I think that's what propels my dislike for SOME (note I said some not all) people and racial groups because their ignorance propels them to do stupid things.

As a young black man with an "ethnic" hairstyle, an "urban" vernacular, and a light-hearted nature, I may not be as conservative as others may expect, but, for lack of a better phrase; "bitch, I'm me!" One would think that someone with such a high self-esteem wouldn't let the ignorance of others disturb him, but it's something that you would imagine would not occur with the frequency that it did more than 40 years ago. Well as I'm standing in the veranda of one of the Harris County courtrooms with my partners discussing the day's events, another fellow attorney walks out of the courtroom and stops because two of my partners are blocking the walkway. After they excuse themselves and move the other attorney pauses for an awkward 10 seconds or so and remarks, "is this an illegal meeting?" Everyone else pauses mid-statement, mid-text message, and the only response that could be uttered was the question "of lawyers?" The attorney who thought he had interrupted an "illegal" meeting only walks out of the courtroom, and I wonder if it was because he didn't hear the question, or realized just how inappropriate his question was?

What could possibly cause this man to formulate the idea that he was interrupting an illegal meeting? Was it because he walked in on four black men and wanted to make an informal "witty" remark that would amuse us? Or was it because four black men talking in a courthouse, despite their business attire and briefcases, could not be involved in anything other than illegal activity? Now despite the beginning of this post, this is not a racial post, its on questioning ignorance. Since I've began working as a licensed attorney, I've heard a lot of negative commentary about the practices of my firm. We've been affectionately referred to as "the brain trust," an entourage, "the Harris County Dream Team," and a "gang," and have heard things like "it takes three of those guys to work a misdemeanor." I would imagine that in a county where at least 3 prosecutors sit in every courtroom, feed each other questions in voir dire and other hearings, fellow defense attorneys would be glad that one entity is taking it upon themselves to "even up the odds." Maybe its just blatant hating, Nas told us that people fear what they don't understand, hate what they can't conquer, that such is probably the theory of man. Maybe its just the intimidation that we possess over those who oppose us in getting this money or those who oppose the interests of our clients but is it our fault that we come prepared while you brought a knife to a gun fight? Or does it bother you that we'd rather get it in together instead of being all out for self?

The stupidity that encompasses the legal community amazes me but I'll continue to do me. In fact, I'll be in the courthouse tomorrow, four deep, ensuring that justice will be served equally to all; where is the illegality in that???