Ryan is the hardest part of my story to explain. We have never met, nor will we, and yet he radically changed the course of my life.
The path that I’ve walked since law school was not one that I intended. I did not go to law school advocate for sex offenders. I went to hide. I went for lack of better ideas. I went because it interested me. I went because, while I was fortunate to have parents who put up money to retain counsel, I saw many who did not have adequate representation, nor families standing by their side. Full Essay
Good article. Shame kills. Fast as a bullet or slow as cancer, it kills. Crushes our souls, destroys our sense of who we are. It can rob you of every joy and every opportunity for peace and happiness in this life. Do not allow it that power. Fight it. Know it. Learn about your enemy – read about it. Seek counseling if you feel that will help. You CAN overcome shame. (We have no time for shame. We are the ones who are being oppressed! We are the ones who are being victimized by ill-intentioned lawmakers and legislatures! We are the ones who must rise up in opposition! Turn your shame to anger and to action!)
“I mean that there is no way to disarm any man, said Dr. Ferris, except through guilt. Through that which he himself has accepted as guilt. If a man has ever stolen a dime, you can impose on him the punishment intended for a bank robber and he will take it. He’ll bear any form of misery, he’ll feel that he deserves no better. If there’s not enough guilt in the world, we must create it. If we teach a man that it’s evil to look at spring flowers and he believes us and then does it – we’ll be able to do whatever we please with him. He won’t defend himself. He won’t feel he’s worth it. He won’t fight. But save us from the man who lives up to his own standards. Save us from the man of clean conscience. He’s the man who’ll beat us.”
-Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
Wow. Guy sure speaks much of my story, as well. Good read.
Wow, similar story to me.
Fully enjoyed this essay I found it to be well informed . This was one of the most powerful and spirt reaching storys I have seen for a long time and it addressed not just the truth but how it feels
Ditto-kind of living, wow. Glad nationwide RC’s nad off the reg read this site.