EDITOR’S OPINION Brief hastens to add that the MAH phrase is not, in itself, a statement of official Society policy, nor an appropriate face tattoo upon, or a submission to the Court to be made by, any lawyer (though like many such things, it might look OK on a red cap). From a human rights perspective it is telling that the fulcrum and spine tingling/ tear jerking part of Beale’s speech preceding the “MAH” part is: “You’ve got to say: ‘I’m a human being, g-d dammit! My life has value!’. Lawyers are in a unique (and privileged and onerous) position not only to be able to [putting aside the blasphemous explicative] speak to and give life to this concept, but also most importantly, to do so for and on behalf of others. Significantly, prior to Beale’s MAH phrase is this: “We know things are bad – worse than bad. They’re crazy. It’s like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don’t go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is: ‘Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steelbelted radials and I won’t say anything. Just leave us alone’ and “I don’t want you to protest. I don’t want you to riot – I don’t want you to write to your congressman, because I wouldn’t know what to tell you to write.” Only two actors have been awarded posthumous acting Oscars, both Australians. The other is Perth born and raised Heath Ledger,6 for his stunning, dark and complex portrayal of The Joker, another character who, from a very different perspective, has something to say about what happens to a citizenry and ruling elites, when things seem to be on edge. Perhaps the most famous line from the Ledger’s Joker is not by him but about him (spoken, naturally by Michael Cainewho else!), “Some people just want to see the world burn.”7 Nevertheless, Ledger’s Joker had some eerily prescient statements: “Madness, As You Know, Is Like Gravity. All It Takes Is A Little Push!”, “I’ll show you, when the chips are down, these—ah—”civilised people”? They’ll eat each other. See, I’m not a monster. I’m just ahead of the curve” and, something that might resonate with certain lawyers: “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” As for Jokers maintaining that if you’re good at something never do it for free, thought with no claim to the former element, 2002 has already gifted us Stormy Daniel’s former attorney Michael Avanetti, who sacked his legal team and represented himself in unsuccessfully defending charges he stole money from miss Daniels and demonstrating once
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again representing oneself is invariably a poor idea. Some gems from Avanetti’s bizarre cross-examination of Daniels include: Avenatti: “Didn’t you tell the New York Times that watching me work was like watching the Sistine Chapel painted?” Stormy Daniels: “That’s what you told me to say” and “Didn’t you tell the government I was nice and respectful?” Daniels: “I was wrong” Avenatti: “Move to strike!!.” Daniels did get on board with lawyers generally with this Joker like gem: Avenatti: “You know lawyers do not generally work for free?” Daniels: “I’d be shocked if you did”. In today’s age serious issues do manifest themselves through somewhat unlikely agents and the important issue of freedom of speech is erupting though most prominently played out in a battle between an ex-UFC commentator and essentially libertarian podcaster who once convinced Elon Musk to smoke a joint on his show, and old rocker Neil Young, seemingly concerning an allegation that Rogan was spreading “dangerous misinformation” about COVID through his podcasts and Young apparently alleging that the only possible use for ivermectin is as a horse de-wormer, with Young threatening to remove his entire catalogue from Spotify, if Spotify did not remove Rogan’s show. This is all a bit weird, and even more so given that Young’s most famous band was an insane equine, so he possibly could have done with some ivermectin, and that he waxed lyrical about a girl who was apparently injecting herself with cinnamon. To the extent these references are not recognised by most readers, this may speak as to why Young’s threat to remove his music from Spotify did not have quite the explosive effect anticipated, and also that when Joni Mitchell weighed in threatening to do the same, the threat reached the same sort of proportions as if the Sussexes had threatened to remove their extensive Spotify catalogue. Also of note is that Kim Kardashian has recently passed on her 4th attempt (which must have seemed like “foreverrrr…”) her “Baby Bar Exam” in California. Whatever else might be said about Kim K praise is in order. She chose the law as the vehicle through which she would pursue, not other things, but human rights/social justice issues. She preserved with it, despite initial failures. And Kim K’s human rights and social justice credentials (and efficacy) ought not be dismissed.8 As an advocate for prison rights reform she has had many people released, often by petitioning President Trump (who, lest it be thought is a pushover for such things, did not, despite intense pressure, pardon Joey “Tiger King” Exotic, an observation that perhaps betrays watching way too
much cable TV waiting for Ozark). There have been some more classical human rights figures that, yes, to address COVID, have had interactions with viruses and quarantines. Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburgh Address is of course a landmark address with human rights elements to it. A lesser reported fact surrounding that moment was that Lincoln had to then quarantine at the White House for a month, having shown the symptoms of varioloid (a variant?) of smallpox (his lessened symptoms suggesting that he might have been previously exposed to full smallpox). Unfortunately and tragically, Lincoln’s muchl-loved valet William Johnson, a free African American, and someone who Lincoln described as “the most useful member of the presidential party” was not so fortunate . He had accompanied Lincoln to Gettysburg, cared for Lincoln upon his quarantine, yet himself succumbed to smallpox. Lincoln, who had guaranteed the mortgage on Johnson’s house, could do little more than (and did do) pay from his own pocket all Johnson’s funeral and other expenses paid for the discharge of the mortgage over Johnson’s house and it is said insisted he be buried at what is Arlington National Cemetery.9
End notes 1 Reputedly for 30 million pounds. 2 Though who knows, EntitlementGreedCoin might well, so far as the Editor knows, be the newest and hottest brand of Cryptocurrency 3 Hopefully not in the form of excessive CO 2 emissions or, for that matter, INTERPOL warrants. 4 A bizarre combination of Kath & Kim and Glenn Close’s Oscar Winning performance in Fatal Attraction the only other link seemingly being the hairstyles of Kath and Glenn Close. 5 One can view it here as no mere description can do it justice: Watch it here. 6 One humbling additional thought is that both Howard Beale and the Jokers’ unhinged tirades read much better on transcript than an average appearance before the Court of Appeal. 7 Finch was an “English-born” Australian actor, however legitimate claims are made by Australia summarily claims such persons, including, of course, Mel Gibson. Mr Ledger was, of course, Perth-born and bred. 8
See Kim Kardashian; Human Rights Champion & Prison Reform Advocate, R Alshhri, 8/12/21, the daily scrum news
9 https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/William_ Henry_Johnson_(valet)
