Responsibility

Our founding fathers promised justice for all, and I have done what I can to maintain that promise. I have chosen to participate in groups and organizations that work to protect those with the least access to resources, the least access to education, and the least access to justice. I earned a grant to represent asylees fleeing oppression and seeking refuge on our shores. I tutored in an elementary school, meeting with youngsters whose lack of English proficiency disadvantaged them in their classrooms. I volunteered and taught with the Red Cross for over a decade, passing on what I had learned about how to protect the injured and ailing. I have represented victims of domestic violence free of charge. As a member of the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, I am proud of the banner that reads, "Protecting People’s Rights,” and that provides continuing inspiration to members. I believe that our courts are not only responsible to the people, but responsible for providing a fair and balanced playing field to the people who are at highest risk.

Early Voting Begins Tomorrow

Early voting begins tomorrow, April 17th at nine sites throughout Wake County, including the Board of Elections. Placing your vote at your convenience between the 17th and May 3rd, will allow you to avoid the mayhem of election day -- or to spend your time on the 6th working for the candidate of your choice. And, in the event that you are not yet registered to vote in North Carolina, have changed your address and need to change your voter registration, or for any other reason need to re-register, you may do so on the same day as you vote at any of the nine early voting sites. You cannot register and vote the same day on May 6th. However you choose to exercise your right to vote, I hope that you will exercise this most fundamental of our Constitutional rights.

An Evening at Our North Carolina Museum of Art

The North Carolina Museum of Art is now hosting Art in the Evenings on Friday nights. Last night as I was looking at the installation in the entryway, I was struck by how differently the same sculpture can appear when you learn more about it. Butterflies are hung in a cluster forming a jet plane, and flowers form the jet's contrail. The structure has been in the foyer since the museum celebrated the Wright brothers' successful flight, and I visit the museum several times a year. I had always seen the butterflies moving slightly, clicking quietly against one another. But, upon learning that the butterflies were framed in memory wire, that they open and close because of the effect of heat on the wire, and that the heat is generated by small electrodes in the ceiling where the wires by which the butterflies hang are attached, I began to understand the sculpture in a new way. No longer was the movement random. The flapping was no longer just the effect of the soft flow of air in a large room. It became intentional. As always, new facts informed my views. And as always, I remain open to changing my views again if the information provided warrants. I truly believe that all matters, from art to zoning should be approached with an open mind and the willingness to learn.

Last Day to Register to Vote One Month from Today

One month from today may be the last day to register to vote, but if you have not updated your registration by April 11th, there is still hope. Until April 11th, you can register for the first time, change your party affiliation, or simply update your address. The voter registration form must be either post-marked by the 11th, or it may be hand delivered. However, if you miss the registration deadline, you may register during One-Stop Voting (which begins on April 17th) by going to a One-Stop site in your home county, filling out the registration form, and providing proof of residency to the elections official by presenting appropriate identification listing your current name and address. You will only be allowed to vote at the One-Stop site if you register in this manner. You will not be allowed to vote at your polling place on Primary Day, but your vote will be counted if you vote at the One-Stop site. One-Stop voting ends May 3rd. Register and VOTE in the MAY 6th primary.

Donna Shalala Spoke to a Packed Auditorium

At NC State's Stewart Theater, Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala discussed legislation that would assist returning servicemen and women. Not only were our responsibilities to the wounded emphasized, but also our ability to provide for the on-going education of our service members. Dr. Shalala addressed an audience of students, guests including First Lady Mary Easley, reporters, and members of the armed forces. Questions were accepted from the audience and ranged from inquiries into how soldiers could learn of the benefits already available, to how what we learn through caring for our wounded might affect the development of universal health care. Following the formal address, I was pleased to be able to talk with service members about the conundrums presented by the deployment of parents who leave children behind with friends and family members. While the children remain enrolled in local schools, our family courts must find ways for their temporary guardians and custodians to act in their best interests, without interfering with the family structure upon the return of the soldier-parents.