Originally posted by juddson
I think the break I am looking for is the recognition that this young pre-law student was being funny - and possibly trying to get the goat of the OP.
She really was serious. But, in her defense, I was probably putting her in an uncomfortable and defensive position by poking fun at her profession - AS HER TEACHER. She probably didnt feel she could just tell me to "go to H*ll." Still, she got the ball rolling with a joke about "never giving her any reason to make a case against me." Plus, Im not claiming this view represents ALL lawyers/prelaw students... but, it is reprepresentative of a pretty vocal and high profile subset of lawyers that dominate the daytime tv commercial time in Louisville, KY. These guys are, IMO, pretty damaging to nearly every industry/profession. So, when I catch something that fits the stereotype... It registers.
Originally posted by juddson
Yes, lawyers "lick their chops" at somebody elses missfortune!!! Your comments about how doctors don't "hope" for thier patients to get cancer in order to treat them is shallow and ultimately unhelpful. First of all, doctors are just like lawyers. They ABSOLUTELY depend on the missfortune of others in order to make a living (well this is 100% true of doctors - only a subset of lawyers depend on the missfortune of others to make a living). But you point is obvious enough. Doctors don't "want" their patients to get sick - and OBVIOUSLY lawyer sit around all day "hoping" that somebody has been injured by a doctor. This is just another attempt to dehumanize attorneys - to make them as anti-altruistic as possible.
Lawyers are people, just like doctors are. You need temper this dehumanizing bias - it makes you look like an idiot. .
Easy killer. I dont think posting the statement of a student, and poking fun at you - "makes me look like an idiot" I think you are overstating. True, both professions depend on the 'misfortune' of others, but it is, IMO, a tough sell to argue that med mal (etc) attorneys are as altruistic as the doctors they sue. An important distinction is that the clear intention of the doctors is to help with this misfortune. Im anticipating your response will be that lawyers are doing the same thing... but, in practice, I dont think this is the case. Just look at the unnecessary changes in OB-GYN standards of care brought about largely by the action of John Edwards et al, and the malpractice rates/practice options of certain specialties... these lawyers arent fixing ANYTHING. They are making the situation much much worse for everyone involved, except possibly the very few clients who benefit. Just my admittedly biased opinion as someone heading into Med school.
Originally posted by juddson
There are two realities that seem lost on you. First, neither doctors nor med mal attorneys "hope" that their clients or patients get sick in order to make a fast buck. BUT BOTH of the them "require" this none the less in order to earn a living. Secondly, a cure for cancer would just as surely put oncologists out of work as a cure for death would put estate planners out of work. THAT this somehow translates into doctors supporting a cure for cancer but lawyers surely not is baseless in fact and motivated by pure prejudice - a sense that lawyers are somehow sub-human as a species. It's ridiculous.
Judd
Again, "motivated by pure prejudice" "ridiculous"... you are overreacting and overstating, IMO. Geesh, Im not claiming all lawyers are subhuman. Just the "ambulance chasers."
If you want to claim that these guys do not accurately represent the profession... fine. I agree. But, the drain on society caused by this 'small' subset of your colleagues is enough to earn this bit of negative press.
BTW, both King size Kit Kat and King size Snickers totally skew the chocolate/other stuff ratio... very disappointing.