Most law makers, governors, presidents, judges, and other government leaders have law degrees. A question that we may want to ask ourselves as a country is, “Can lawyers be government leaders?”
Let me explain.
Lawyers are trained fighters. It doesn't matter if it is criminal law, divorce law, torte law, or any other law. A lawyer is hired to fight vigorously for their client.
In a criminal trial, the prosecutor tries to prove that the defendant is guilty of a crime and attempts to get the most severe sentence for the defendant. The defendant’s lawyer is fighting to prove the innocence of their client or at least convince a jury that the prosecutor hasn’t proved their client is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. We trust that this courtroom battle will end with a just verdict.
A guess on my part is that the defendants that can afford the best attorneys will probably get off more than the defendants who settle for a public defender. However, I acknowledge that this system seems to be the best we can do for now.
Let’s take this battle into the political arena.
One lawyer is representing the Democratic Party, the other lawyer is representing the Republican Party. These trained fighters go into the public political courtroom to prove their case. Their mission is to prove that their party is just and righteous; and the other party is evil and corrupt. The mud-slinging starts. Except, there are no rules like in the courtroom. There are no rules of evidence, so political fighters and there is no threat of perjury, so political fighters can fabricate any story they’d like about their opponent. The jury is not sequestered and is able to create their own story of the political case based on their biased research.
In fact, the political courtroom, the result is always a hung jury. There is no consensus on one political fighter vs the other. That’s okay. All the winner must do is attract one juror to his/her side.
The winning fighter makes it into their position of power. Now, the real battle begins. Lawyers representing the other side won their fights in their hotly contested political campaigns. The fighter must now win where it counts… making laws that support their client’s ideology. Let’s be clear, their client is the political party that funded their campaign.
Is the Fight Working?
In a trial, lawyers are trained to represent their client regardless of the truth. A defendant’s attorney must still represent their client even if they feel their client is guilty. A prosecutor must pursue a guilty verdict on the accused even if they feel the accused may be innocent.
Likewise, when these fighters gain power, they will continue to represent their political party and fight to prove their political opponent is wrong-minded. In governing, this fight creates gridlock and partisan polarization. Compromise or collaboration is seen as weak. Afterall, there is no compromise in battle.
If the goal of our government is to create gridlock and division, then the fight is working. If the goal of our government is to create freedom, liberty, and the best life possible for our country’s citizens, the fight is not working.
Political Polarization
In a trial, the family of the victims will side with the prosecutor. They are convinced the prosecutor has the right person and they want vengeance. The family and friends of the defendant will side with the defense. They believe their loved one is innocent.
In our political courtroom, we have those who are convinced that the ideals of the left are good, while the right is evil. Likewise, we have those who are convinced that the ideals of the right are good, while the left is evil. There are still a few undecided folks in the middle that can be convinced one way or the other depending on how well each side conducts its side of the war.
What About the Truth?
The truth is that most defendants are guilty of the crime for which they are being accused. A prosecutor is rarely frivolous about trying a case against a person they believe is innocent. This is not the case in a public trial between two political opponents. In our polarized world, each side has an almost equal following.
Let’s take a hotly contentious topic of our economy. The left believes in a large government, entitlement programs for those who cannot earn a living, and believes that capitalism is enriching the already rich, and impoverishing the less fortunate. The right believes in limited government, cutting taxes to spur prosperity of the private sector which will give jobs to the less fortunate and allow them to earn a good living. The truth is that neither side is objectively reviewing how their political ideologies affect the people they claim to want to help.
A broader truth is that the solution to problems often lies in the middle. Let’s think about the economy from a centrist’s point of view. A centrist believes that there is an ideal size of government that has proven to be approximately 20% of the total gross domestic product (GDP). A centrist believes that safety nets need to be in place to supply housing, food, and medical care on a temporary basis to help people who have fallen on hard times get back on their feet. A centrist believes that capitalism is a strong economic engine that must be regulated by a government that is not directly involved in that capitalistic venture.
I am not saying that the centrist has any greater claim on the truth than the left or right. I am saying that our current process of fighting will never reach the truth. Why? Because fighters have an “I win, you lose” mentality. This is why all votes in congress on key legislation are along party lines.
I am a Core Energy Coach. We call this “I win, you lose” mentality conflict energy that is highly catabolic and highly destructive. This is otherwise known as Level 2 energy. Almost the lowest of seven energy levels. When I coach my business owner clients, we try to achieve Level 5. Level 5 energy is called opportunity, and the core thought at this level is “Win/Win”.
Are Lawyers the Problem?
Most agree that people have become more polarized in recent years. It may surprise you to learn that fewer lawyers are in congress today than we had decades earlier when politicians negotiated to form legislation that was beneficial for all.
If you consider the most polarizing figures in congress, most of them are not lawyers. This doesn’t mean that lawyers are not still fighting away. However, statistically speaking, our congress was less polarizing when it had a higher percentage of people with law degrees.
The Solution is Us
Our representatives reflect us. We vote these folks into office. We reward these folks for fighting for “our side”. If we stop rewarding biased reporting and seek the truth, media outlets will be forced to favor balanced reporting. If we stop voting for extreme candidates in primary elections that are fighters and start voting for candidates who value wisdom and compassion; we will get candidates in general elections who appeal to all Americans. Lawyers are not the problem… we are.
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