Lawyer defence
I am writing in response to W. M. Pender’s Dec. 11 letter about his D.E.A.L. – don’t elect another lawyer to political office.
While I can appreciate Mr. Pender’s frustration and cynicism with the political system, I strongly disagree with his judgment that all lawyers cannot be trusted. I was left with the distinct impression that this mistrust goes beyond political life.
While it may be true that a few bad apples are in the system, such things are to be found in every walk of life.
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I farm for a living and I can think of one or two farmers who would qualify for the “Darth Vader Lifetime Achievement Award.” But in my experience, some of the nicest, most talented and genuinely good people I have known are attorneys.
For example, when I was in high school one of my teachers was in fact an attorney. He loved teaching and really tried his best to make this small section of the world a better place.
A year or so ago, I attended a one day seminar in Saskatoon and one of the speakers was an attorney who left a law firm there to return to the family farm near Outlook, Sask. He was one of the finest people you could ever hope to meet.
A few years back we had as our MLA an attorney from Moose Jaw. Although I did not support his political party, he put far more effort into serving this constituency than anyone ever has since.
Perhaps Mr. Pender gets his opinions from the legal dramas on TV every night. If this represented true life, then all lawyers would be rich, powerful and live lives filled with intrigue.
Even comedian Don Herron once joked that “medical drug testing should not be done on small animals. People love animals. Perhaps they should do medical testing on lawyers – no one loves a lawyer!”
Mr. Pender did suggest one point however, and that is anytime the political system gets lopsided with any one profession, whether it is lawyers, teachers, nurses or labour leaders, there appears to be a tendency for them to take good care of their own.
In closing, I would like to leave this question. Did you ever think that maybe lawyers are the best ones equipped to take all the cynical crap that we voters dump on our elected officials?
– Paul Tysdal,
Briercrest, Sask.
Loyal to whom?
(Re: Hog industry on pins and needles, WP, Nov. 27)
With all the uncertainty in the hog industry, it puzzles me as to why companies like Rocky Mountain Pork and Peace Country Pork Management Group are still trying to persuade farmers to invest their savings in hog barns, when financial experts, who earn their living making accurate predictions and market trend forecasts for the banks, are telling the banks to be wary of the hog industry.
Could it be that their loyalties are with someone other than the farmer?
– Jack Mehlsen,
Fairview, Alta.
