Throwaway

[H2O Man]

"There is in every child at every stage a new miracle of vigorous unfolding, which constitutes a new hope and a new responsibility for all."
--Erik Erikson; Childhood and Society

Lisa Aversa Richette wrote "The Throwaway Children" in 1969. She was an attorney from Philadelphia who, though largely forgotten today, was recognized as one of the best advocates for children and youth caught up in the American justice system. She understood discrimination: she was once thrown out of court for wearing a pants-suit. She also understood what it meant to be a victim of violence, having been mugged while a crowd of people watched, without anyone attempting to help her.

Richette served as both an assistant district attorney, and as a judge on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Yet she always remained a strong advocate of young people, of the poor, of the homeless, and others marginalized by our society. I was thinking about her last night, and again this morning, when I was reading some of the threads on DU.

What does it mean, when a society ignores the message of such a person? Where does it leave those people she once advocated for? What does it say about progressives and liberals who don’t have a clue about who she was, or what she stood for?

This country has never fully come to terms with dealing with discrimination against certain segments of the population. But, because of people like Judge Richette, we have made progress, at least in the theories defined by law. Still, one segment of society is, by definition, not allowed the full realm of rights of citizenship, not even in theory.

It must be devastating to be a teenager who is homosexual, and who suffers the hatred of a thugs just as Lisa Richette suffered from the violence of the thug who mugged her, and to have a crowd called "society" watch, without offering assistance. Those teens must have had a sense that the 2008 election represented something of a miracle, which would vigorously unfold new opportunities for them. But, instead, they see that things are not changing at a meaningful pace, in the sense of protections of their rights coming from Washington, DC. Not when qualified members of the military are discharged, simply due to their sexuality.

As an old man, I can appreciate that some progress is being made – on the state level – in terms of the issue of marriage. But I cannot, should not, and do not expect the victims of the current discriminatory laws to view that progress with any sense of patience or humbling gratitude. Nor do I think that the victim of a mugging should be satisfied by some folks in a crowd of on-lookers saying, "Hey, I plan to help you, but I have a few other things that I have to take care of first."

I do not believe that many of the elected "leaders" in Washington, DC, have the political will or moral character to stand up for those who face institutional discrimination in this country. I think that we need to focus efforts on the judicial system now. And I say that, though I recognize that many in the legal system are corrupt, too, and that we must continue to put pressure on those politicians.

As Martin Luther King, Jr., used to say, social progress does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability. It takes the members of a community, to rise up and take a brave stance. Please join this effort.

[Coyote_Bandit]

1. I was honored

to be a student of Judge Richette once.

I suspect that even then she saw many of the unfortunate trends we have seen develop over the last 25 years or so. She fought for the throwaways knowing that society did not and would not in the forseeable future value them.

[hfojvt]

2. runaway

I like that Richette focused on the throwaways, because I think that is one of our scourges that we treat large swaths of our society as disposable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Richette

http://obit-mag.com/viewmedia.php/prmMID/251

Discrimination, however, is not the only thing that causes people to be discarded. More often it is poverty and old age.

[bigtree]

3. good points

Power doesn't concede ground willingly. Dissent and advocacy has to make someone uncomfortable if it's to be successful. I imagine Judge Richette has heard her share of criticisms from all sides for the forthright way she's asserted her opinion and support for the folks she represents. That's what get her cases heard and recognized. In our political system, it's the agitators who receive the most attention. We should appreciate that and follow suit, as you suggest.

[hfojvt]

4. life means never having to say you are sorry

"Appointed to the city Court of Common Pleas by Gov. Milton Shapp in 1970 – one of the first women to join the bench - she quickly earned a reputation as a defendant’s judge who insisted on viewing the perpetrators of crime as human beings. Her views had been molded long before, when she worked with emotionally disturbed kids in New Haven and became convinced of a link between bad home life and criminal behavior. She later wrote a pathbreaking book, Throwaway Children, which advocated greater support for the weak of society, that is still taught in some college classes today."

From one of my links above