Federal Judge Ann Aiken’s bench is 2,917 miles from Washington, D.C. I watched Luke Jackson score 26 straight points from the third balcony of MacArthur Court. In both cases, there was something to be said for being removed from the action. Those who are in the thick of things, they see the trees, but from here near the Upper Left Edge, we can see the forest. We see the wide view, but also the long view. We are free to consider the context and the consequences for the path we’re on as a nation. Judge Aiken’s stand against certain provisions of the USA Patriot Act offered clarity but also courage. From this remote location, three thousand miles from the seats of power, she could sit and see how a small change in one certain law has already changed one person’s life — Brandon Mayfield’s — but also that the change would eventually have grave consequences for many of us. And maybe eventually for our Constitutional Republic.
Let’s hear it for the view from the cheap seats.
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One of these four ideas will be developed into a column on Wednesday to be published in The Register-Guard on Friday. I’m asking you to help me choose between them. Between now and the end of Tuesday, leave comments here or send me an e-mail if you’d rather be more private. Or, at the very least, RATE the idea (and the others) so I know which one people like best. No promises, though. This ain’t American Idol. But I will post an entry on Wednesday to say which one I’m choosing (and probably why.) I plan to do this each week — often by Friday, but always by Monday, so visit often and tell me which idea intrigues you the most. Thanks!
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