The American Dissident

Walden Pond State Reservation—Free Speech in Peril

The Judge

The following is the correspondence I had with Judge Janet L. Sanders prior to my realizing she was the judge who'd judged me at the Concord Courthouse. She had contacted me, as a result of my dissident biography on OK Cupid.

• "Methinks not," huh? Well think again. An American dissident? Isn't that an oxymoron? Maybe not. I like your refreshing and bold point of view. We may have more in common than you think.
from the OkCupid app Jan 2
Block them Report
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Ciao,
Thanks for the message. Yes, an oxymoron... or rather perceived as such. That was precisely why I created that title in 1998. And I think you're the first to make that observation. Now, what might we have in common?
T
Sent on Jan 3
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Let's see: a sharp, critical independent eye? Someone who stands up and speak her mind? An appreciation for a good bottle of wine? Non conforming? I particularly like your long white hair: you look like an aging hippie, which brings back fond memories of my own hippie days.
Sent on Jan 3
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Salut,
Hmm. Why cut my hair if I don't have to. My older brother mentioned my hair when I was down in Atlanta a month ago. I hadn't seen him in 10 years. Well, it was a passing remark. A former gal friend had told me one of her good friends had dissed me as an aging hippie. So, that evidently could be a slur, though evidently you did not mean it to be thus. Actually I have written a number of poems critical of the hippie days... nothing critical of bare feet though. So, what brings you to Brighton? Ages ago I lived in Cambridge, then Somerville, then Lunenburg and Concord, MA. BTW, that white-hair photo was taken this summer by myself on the northern peninsula of Newfoundland. Have you traveled? Do you write, draw, crochet?
T
Sent on Jan 3
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Interesting law school! If I had to do it over again perhaps law school would have been the choice. I am especially interested in First Amendment law.
Patagonia... hmm. For some reason I am attracted to the far north (Labrador, northern Quebec, Newfoundland, Iceland), not to the far south. Also, Europe continues to attract me.... Brittany, Alsace, Tyrol, Switzerland and Germany. I used to play jazz guitar and still have my two guitars... but I can't play any more. I used to like jazz quite a bit. More recently, I was attracted to French Cajun Louisiana music, which is a kind of jazz/blues and Terje Rypdal, a Norwegian guitarist who plays the guitar like it were a cello of sorts. Well, perhaps all of this is more than you wanted to know... Buona notte!
T.
Sent on Jan 3
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So as to what brings me to these parts, it was law school (I was born in Texas), Thirty years later and I am still here. I am very familiar with Louisiana, including Cajun music. New Orleans is one of the better music venues in the world. As far as what I do, I still practice law, both criminal and civil. I have had some cases with First Amendment issues. In my free time, I play piano (I'm moving away from strictly classical and learning about improvisation -- a very different skill set. I also garden (growing season is far too short in these parts), cook, read. I love hiking, hence the choice of Patagonia which reportedly has some fabulous hiking. I traveled in Alsace in college, and had a boyfriend from Brittany at the time.
I am heading out of the country tomorrow for a week. So if you don't hear from me for a little while, that is why. Janet
Sent on Jan 3
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Salut Janet,
Bon voyage la ou tu voyages! I spent two years in Louisiana so really got to appreciate the hinterlands, not simply New Orleans. LA for me is the most unique state in the country, thanks to the Cajun culture and landscape. Ah, so you still practice law! Any pro bono work? I am a good (an easy win, one would think) First Amendment case looking for an interested party. In vain I tried to get a law professor at NU, my alma mater, to put his students on it. BUT feel free to ignore the issue. I'd hate you to think that already I am trying to get something out of you. That is certainly not who I am. Well, have a good trip...
T
Sent on Jan 4
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Although I work in public sector (which one could consider pro bono) I can't take on cases pro bono. As to my trip away, it was spent at an ashram in the Bahamas. Really interesting. Very relaxing. Hard to get back to reality. On the subject of Brittany, I just started a novel which starts out with the bombing of saint-Malo in WWII. Do you know the location?
Sent from the OkCupid app Jan 10
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Ah, a novelist! Yes, been to St-Malo 3 or 4 times. What wasn't destroyed is the wall that surrounds the town. Well, if you ever meet up with a young lawyer or lawyer trainee with a passion for free speech, send him/her my way. I've written a couple of novels, though really non-fiction novels, if you will. One got published in 1999. No sales to speak of. I have essentially stopped trying to get published. I will self-publish now instead. What I write does not interest the masses or the mass agents or the mass publishers. Well, I could use the Bahamas, but probably not the ashrams. I'm surprised one even exists down yonder. I have been so busy as of late due to this Charlie Hebdo massacre, reading articles, writing letters, preparing cartoon ideas, etc. That's a creative plus. I'd had been to the Charlie Hebdo office and had read the newspaper frequently when I was living in France. So, give me a brief syno on your novel.
T.
Sent on Sunday
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No I'm not writing the novel, just reading it. It is called "all the light we cannot see." A big hit on the nytimes best seller list.
Sent from the OkCupid app Sunday
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Apropos, working in the public sector as a lawyer is not really akin to pro bono, which implies a lawyer gets nothing if he/she loses the case. You always get something. Ah, just reading a novel. Sorry, my error. I am now back into my Quebecois mode of combat, thanks to the horrendous massacre in Paris. Maudite flotte, arête, calissse ! :)
Sent on Monday
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I figured you would take issue with my labeling govt work pro bono! (Hey, I'm glad you still wrote me back after that!) actually there are some parts of my work where I do feel that I am making a real contribution -- but as you point out, I am paid (albeit modestly). When are you heading back to France?
Sent from the OkCupid app Monday
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Hey, you got me LOL with the "take issue" thing. That's a plus! I am hardly a person that gets angry over a simple discussion. It was certainly not a question of whether or not you were making a contribution. If you read it that way, my humble apologies. Also, I was kind of slam shut on the ashram thing. I should open up more to such possibilities. Hell, I even went to a yoga class this summer. Right now I am torn between Labrador and Brittany for the month of June. Labrador has to be June otherwise the black flies will make it unbearably unpleasant. I'd like to go to the top part of the province to the famous Torngate mountain range. The Euro has suddenly dropped to such low levels I shall have to boot myself in the rear to hit Brittany instead of Labrador. I'd also like to visit the old WWI sites in Lorraine on the other side of the country. Of course, I could still do France in Newfoundland. I want to do that again. Haven't been to that part of France in a decade or so. How about you? I really should do a warm spot for 10 days like you now that it's gotten so gloomy in these parts.
T.
Sent on Monday
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Yeah, doing the Bahamas by ashram turned out to be a great idea. As it turns out chanting in Sanskrit is very soothing! No alcohol or meat was also good for me. I did hike down to a nearby hotel for coffee every day, though -- just couldn't give that up. By the way my name's janet.
Sent from the OkCupid app Monday
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I just read an interesting column in Sunday globe by Kevin cullen which makes the point that here in America we are wimps when it comes to free speech and that in many ways the French have a much better understanding of the concept even where it means your life is put at risk. Do you agree?
Sent from the OkCupid app Tuesday
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Ciao Janice,
For the sun, the great beautiful sun, I too would have chanted in Sanskrit! As for France, after spending 7 years over there I came to the conclusion that the French are not much different from Americans as to wimpishness et al. Few would stand alone and speak the "rude truth in all ways" (Emerson). Free speech is really a simple concept... and likely most people, both French and Americans, do not get it. Free speech is not do not say this, do not say that because it might offend. Yet that what we have in far too many American universities today. France and the rest of Europe (and Canada) actually possess legislation that illegalizes some speech that is legal in America. I should check out the Globe. I haven't looked at it in ages. Instead I read the NY Times, WaPo, Wash. Examiner, Wash. Times, Frontpage, J Turley's blog, Le Monde, Liberation, Le Devoir, Der Spiegel, and a few others... and here I am blablabla'ing. Pardonne-moi! The big problem I find here and elsewhere with intellectuals is that they (99%) get angry when I criticize something they write and call me names instead of stating precisely where I was wrong in my critique. I was just called "haine anti-quebecois" (hate for Quebecers) by some guy who wrote an article. It's really quite childish. I think many are just not used to getting criticized... just kudos to death. So, I am now working on a cartoon depicting the Quebecois artiste guy. My creativity seems to be fed by the stupidity and hypocrisy of artists, poets, politcos, profs, etc. Do you know the Cape at all?
T.
Sent on Tuesday
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Actually the column, as you did, noted that appreciation for free speech is missing most in academia where political correctness reigns. The fear of offending has contributed to a kind of censorship that borders on the punitive. You certainly read a lot of newspapers (why so many WAshington publications?) By the way, I was a newspaper reporter before I went to law school. As to the cape I don't know it well, though I have spent some time in the summer in the Orleans area. You live in Barnstable? It would be fun to meet but when I think cape I think beach and damn it's cold now!
Sent from the OkCupid app Tuesday
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Hi Janice,
Just read that Globe column, thanks to you. It was good. Here's the cartoon I did on the Wendy Kaminer incident at Smith College mentioned in the article: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=239569862679528067#editor/target=post;postID=8966909469373732670;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname
If I were to raise one woman above the rest, it would be Sharyl Attkinson. I am reading her new book right now: excellent read! Not sure why I have three Wash. publications on my daily list. I did forget to mention Il Corriere della sera and Focus (Deutsch)... and perhaps I'll check out the Globe more often now. Atkinnson talks also about her early days as a reporter in her book. I like Orleans, Truro, PTown, etc. I've done some great hikes in Wellfleet. The best to me however is Sandy Neck beach off season: 14 miles round trip... exhausting, but marvelous. Yes, I live in Barnstable Village. I used to live in Concord, MA before that, so was a Walden Pond misfit of sorts, spent a day in jail in Concord... just like my buddy, Henry. Yes, it would be nice to meet. I feel like a bear in hibernation down here in the winter, which is why I should get down south a bit. My older brother owns condos in FL, so I was down there in Dec. for 10 days, helping him paint. It was heaven, as you might imagine. I haven't been doing Cupid that long. One woman from up in your area contacted me and we met in Nov. in neutral ground half way. She was interesting, a Ukrainian with thick accent. We'd corresponded a bit prior to the meeting. After it, she decided she wasn't in love with me. Wow. Kind of strange. No spark, she'd written. Well, hell, I didn't get any sparks either! :) I do not expect love at first sight from such encounters. What I really would like is a new friend. If anything else, fine. Capiche? Yes, of course you capiche.
T.
Sent on Wednesday
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PS: In today's Le Monde headline article, many high school and college students (many, if not most, of Muslim descent) are declaring they are NOT Charlie. Many imply the Charlie cartoonists more or less deserved what they got. So that testimony certainly contradicts the Globe's assertion that somehow the French are more open to free speech than Americans.
Sent on Wednesday
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As to your last comment about what is going on in France I heard the same thing on NPR today --that is that there is a whole segment of society (generally Muslim) that is not declaring solidarity with those standing up for the publication's right to print a cartoon of Muhammad, even one with a tear on his cheek. So yes, things are not so different there (but hey, the food is better and I do think the French have a better attitude about life generally)
Sent from the OkCupid app Wednesday
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As to meeting , I think we are on the same page. You just seem interesting -- thoughtful, articulate and well read. (And I also happen to love your profile picture). I too am not into romance, just looking for someone of a similar mindset. I think we should hike sandy neck sometime (I love to hike in almost any conditions). Why don't we wait for a good weather day (that being a relative concept at this time of year) and I'll drive down and meet you. I'm away the weekend of 1/23 but otherwise around. P.S . My name is janet by the way. I do like Janice, however, so you can call me that if you like.
Sent from the OkCupid app Wednesday
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Janet, not Janice:
I'm not the best with names. But when people screw up my name it never bothers me. As you know, it's tough to make generalizations. So, I generally try to avoid it by adding MOST or something like that. Since you mentioned my picture, I can hardly see what you look like in your picture.
Yes, we could do Sandy Neck on a nice day. I'll keep my eyes peeled on the weather and tidal chart, maybe beginning of February.
T.
Sent Yesterday
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I can send you a photo (taken last week in Bahamas) but I would need your email. I look forward to a (bracing) hike!
Sent from the OkCupid app Yesterday
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So, am I in dream land? A human being on the same page? Joking. Sorry, I do have an odd tendency to joke, inherited from my dear ma. We could do half-way where the half-way house is and back. That's a good hike. No need to do the whole thing. That is an all day venture. My heart is on that trail... much beauty there. Each October I wander into the dunes and pick my year's supply of wild cranberries. My email is todslone@hotmail.com. Is it not odd that we can look at a photo of a stranger w/o anything at all in the photo, no voice, no brain, just the aura of a being, decide on shape, color, regard, say yes... or say, no. When one takes a step back, humans are certainly an odd creature. Oops, desole, trop de gros rouge ce soir! A demain.
T.
Sent Yesterday
See 23 older messages
•
One thing you don't know yet about me which is that I don't do things halfway. But of course you're right-- having never spent any time with each other, the halfway point sounds like a good idea. I too love the outdoors which is why I so liked your picture. Also, Newfoundland and Brittany -- tres romantique! I'll send you a photo (and yes I am thin).
Sent from the OkCupid app Yesterday
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P.S. The airwaves are abuzz with conversations about free speech!
Sent from the OkCupid app Yesterday
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T what by the way? Or did you tell me your name? Like you, I am not good with them.
Sent from the OkCupid app

From: todslone@hotmail.com
To: bluebonnet10255@gmail.com
Subject: RE: Encuentro
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2015 20:05:11 -0400

Hi Janet,
You'd mentioned I looked like an aging hippie. BUT aging hippies are wearing suits and crewcuts today. They play golf and go on cruises. They vote for Obama and Hillary. They are tenured academics, Democrat governors, corporate businessmen, and circuit judges. They are millionaires and do NOT buck the System. They’ve become the System. Hadn’t you noticed??? :)
G. Tod

Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2015 14:29:31 -0400
Subject: Re: Encuentro
From: bluebonnet10255@gmail.com
To: todslone@hotmail.com

I too enjoyed the visit -- the walk on the beach, the stroll around your garden, the examination of all the interesting objects in your house. You have that same eye for quirky beauty that my daughter has. And I loved your drawings! I have the American Dissident by my bedside and expect to read them today (Alas, I have come down with a sore throat/cold; cuddling up in bed and looking over what you've written and drawn should be quite entertaining.) So yes, I expect that I will pay a visit to you again particularly as the weather improves. A walk on sandy neck would be nice. Bolsillos. what a great word!

On Sat, Apr 18, 2015 at 8:55 AM, George Slone <todslone@hotmail.com> wrote:
Ciao Janet,
Had a great time with you yesterday! Thanks much for visiting. Sorry that I was a bit mind-numbed because I had the notion that you were visiting me first, the had an engagement for the evening. I didn’t even offer you a bite to eat! Shame on me.
Anyhow, I noted your amazing energy and vigor. Bravo! I enjoyed speaking Spanish with you also. BOLSILLOS es la palabrita que busquemos. Thanks much for manifesting an unusual interest in my dibujos. It seems perhaps I talked about me more than you talked about you. Shame on me. I should have asked (and out of sincere interest) what your meeting at the Courthouse was about. Also, that story about your getting half an entire wine cellar was intriguing. De toda manera, me alegro de antemano en tu proxima visita quando sera! Buen dia a ti!
T.

Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2015 21:51:14 -0400
Subject: Re: Encuentro
From: bluebonnet10255@gmail.com
To: todslone@hotmail.com

so I just checked the agenda and I may be free earlier. If it's not raining I am certainly up for a hike. I will bring a change of clothes just in case. I'll email you tomorrow when I am on the road.

On Wed, Apr 15, 2015 at 10:35 AM, George Slone <todslone@hotmail.com> wrote:
Sounds good: 5 pm Friday at 217 Commerce Rd, Barnstable Village. I will be there even if you cannot make it. I do not have a cell phone. We can chat for a bit over some vino tinto. Hasta entonces!
T.

Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 20:01:06 -0400
Subject: Re:
From: bluebonnet10255@gmail.com
To: todslone@hotmail.com

why don't we get together on friday around 5ish for a drink (your house is fine -- your choice). Do you have a cell that I can text you on?? Janet

On Mon, Apr 6, 2015 at 6:35 PM, George Slone <todslone@hotmail.com> wrote:
Hi,
It takes a lot to get me angry. I have barely been in contact with any OKCs. Ah, I thought you'd be gone for only 2 weeks. And it seemed like a month had gone by. Glad you enjoyed the trip. Very nice photos! I didn't know you were a photog. Sure, we could say hello on the 17th, though I would rather a day-time hike. Or we could have a glass of vino tinto at my little house in Barnstable either before or after your get-together. I am flexible. Glad for you that you've hooked up with someone. The past few weeks? Well, my nice porch is falling apart so I was attempting to repair it and it just got worse and worse. Very exciting, eh? Also, I just published the latest issue of The American Dissident and am every busy cartooning and writing short critical essays. BTW, I'm actually teaching an online Span. class right now. Slowly, I'm planning my next trip to Newfoundland, the French Islands, and Battle Harbour (Labrador) and perhaps further on the dirt road to Cartwright.
T.

From: todslone@hotmail.com
To: bluebonnet10255@gmail.com
Subject: RE: Encuentro
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2015 20:05:11 -0400

Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2015 10:49:57 -0400
Subject: Re: Encuentro
From: bluebonnet10255@gmail.com
To: todslone@hotmail.com

Is that what happened to all the hippies?? I was wondering... As an aging hippie myself, I don't fit exactly fit the description, though I a) voted for Obama and will vote for Hillary, and b) work as a judge. I do hate golf and cruises. As to you, your carefully arranged "found" objects and your appreciation for the wildness of nature did remind me of a few people I knew in college. so yes, I stick by my initial description.
My daffodils came up (at last). My tulips look to be a week away. I raked my yard but planting anything seems to be a ways off. It's chilly! It's this time of year when I really miss my birth state of Texas, where spring arrives promptly in March with warmth and bloom.
AS to the Cape Cod cultural center, those in charge are clearly lacking in vision if they don't appreciate your work. I really loved it!

From: todslone@hotmail.com
To: bluebonnet10255@gmail.com
Subject: RE: Encuentro
Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2015 14:24:02 -0400

Hi Janet,
Well, I have written a number of poems on 'where have all the hippies gone?'. Anyhow, perhaps the aging hippie remark simply reminded me of one of the x’s girlfriends, who called me the same though with a definite derogatory connation. I know you did not mean it that way. Anyhow, I do not think Hillary will be a president for evident reasons. But then I voted for Nader in 2000 and didn’t think he’d become president either. Then I voted against Obama in 2012 because of the LIES. Anyhow, not to get into politics… note that socialists who voted for Obama and right-wingers who didn’t were published in the issue of The American Dissident that you have. I am glad that the front cover of the mag did not entirely turn you off to my so-called “art.” In fact, since you kept mentioning how your daughter would like that “art,” how about introducing me to her if she ever gets divorced and moves back to Massachusetts? :) (That’s a happy-face emoticon!) Enjoy the warmer days. I had a great hike with the Eastham Hiking Club in Orleans. We hiked to Pochet Island.
T.

Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2015 16:19:10 -0400
Subject: hi
From: bluebonnet10255@gmail.com
To: todslone@hotmail.com

Hi:it's Janet from OK Cupid. I know it's been awhile since we were last in communication (I think the daffodils had just bloomed) but I thought I would tell you how much I enjoyed your piece "Incarcerated in concord" from the Transcendental Trinkets publication.

As you may recall, I was the presiding judge in Concord for a couple of years (1999-2001). sounds as if you were before some male judge so I am assuming (hoping?) it was not me. In any event, I was bemused by your descriptions of "madame the Prosecutor,"(although my guess is that she was almost certainly some 27 year old fresh out of law school) the Walden Pond parking attendant ("Sir! Sir! you didn't follow the rules"), and the state trooper ("impassive and taciturn -- the demeanor of a typical lifer public servant careerist"). I must admit to laughing in a few places, though I know you meant everything in all seriousness.

I will say that you were likely treated far better because you were white. The racial disparities in our legal system concern me more than some of the free speech points that you make (not a criticism, just an observation on my part).

At any rate, I will continue reading -- and commenting if the spirit moves me. Physical distance makes it hard to get together with you in person, but I do have some interest in renewing our relationship via email.

Janet (P.S. did you make it back to Newfoundland or Brittany?)

From: todslone@hotmail.com
To: bluebonnet10255@gmail.com
Subject: RE: hi
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2015 19:26:59 -0400
Hi Janet,
Good to hear from you and MANY thanks for the comment on "Incarcerated"! Rarely do I receive feedback. It was a female judge (Judge Sanders or something like that). The prosecutor definitely looked about 27! What ticks me off of course is that I was found not guilty, but still had to pay the fine of getting my car towed. In that sense, the arresting cop found me guilty and fined me. If I can get a laugh from someone, great! Certainly, the situation itself was comical, if not absurd. So, I can't fault you for laughing. All of my negative experiences have formed me as a writer and poet. I thus regret nothing. If I hadn't had negative experiences, I would have been an academic lifer in a tenure sinecure ever writing about geolinguistic issues, including Breton, the language of Bretagne.
It would be difficult for me to agree with your better treatment because of my skin color argument. You might wish to read the publisher of Global Free Press on that issue (http://globalfreepress.org/contributors/canada/trevor-hill/3847-humans-were-losing-our-race) and especially my harsh critique of his assessment (http://globalfreepress.org)--first essay on the page, "Humans We're..." Both essays were written this month, mine just last week. That publisher is a Canadian and quite rare indeed. The norm would have been to ignore and not publish my counterpoint... that has certainly been my long experience in the writing field. And yes I really did let him know how rare he was as a publisher. Evidently, we (he and you vs. I) differ on this, as on other things. Ah, BUT we can peaceably discuss the differences, n'est-ce pas? I seek FACT and REASON. It is my firm belief that both those things tend to counter IDEOLOGY. The whole black lives matter thing is an ideology. My writing fights against ideology.
BTW, I would have been curious about why you got a divorce. Human relations interest me. As I reflect, the entire marriage thing seems to be a human-ownership thing... as does the boyfriend-girlfriend thing in general. I do recall how jealous my ex would get when I'd talk to another female. When I observe young couples it is an ownership thing. You know, as in MY MAN or MY WOMAN. Alas.
Yes, I spent the month of June/July in Newfoundland and of course liked it a lot. 4500 miles on the road. You would certainly like it there because amazing trails exist. In fact, I did a 10 mi. trail in the woods in search of an old outport. Exhausting. Attached is one of my photos to give you an idea of the starkness (attached to another email is a second photo). Never feel obligated to say, oh, that is so great! :) In fact, never feel obligated to even look or comment.
It is possible I will hit la Bretagne for 3 weeks in September. I have been doing research on it. Want me to look anyone up for you there? :)
BTW, I have done a number of cartoons critical of blacks and the racism issue. Yes, I was labeled a racist! :) I have also done a number of cartoons on females. Yes, I was called a misogynist! Ah, but I've done far more cartoons on white males... yet that didn't seem to matter. You know, I taught 5 years at two HBCUs in the south (NC and LA), where almost everyone was black. You might be interested in my experience with that regard. I was also mugged and robbed by three blacks in Baton Rouge... and couldn't interest any of the papers in publishing my account. Why not? Don't white lives matter? Ah, but the black student newspaper at the univ. where I was teaching did publish it! Kudos to those black students!
T.
PS: Thanks for not simply throwing those books into the garbage bucket! :)

From: jenna s <bluebonnet10255@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, August 14, 2015 10:22 AM
To: George Slone
Subject: Re: hi

Well, what a coincidence! You apparently appeared before me in the Concord District court (my last name is Sanders). I was in charge of that court for two years before moving on to superior court, another trial court but one which deals with bigger cases, both criminal and civil. I was happy to note that your article did not say anything critical of the judge. I have to say I have no memory of it: most of the cases in DC are disposed of just like yours: go talk to the prosecutor and make a deal. looks like the "deal" you got was good, at least from the court. there is nothing I could have done about teh impoundment fee.
I do think that you would have been treated much more roughly by that state trooper had you not been an older white male. all you have to do is read the paper to see the impact that race has on our system of law enforcement. I have some personal experience in this too: I grew up in the South when Jim Crow was still very much alive. I was a teenager when things started to change. I saw a lot of racism and prejudice and as a newspaper reporter in Houston actually covered a trial where police were charged with murder of a young hispanic male arrested for being disorderly. (They threw him in the bayou to see if "the wetback" could swim). Now as a judge who sits half of my time in criminal court, I continue to be concerned about the implicit bias that infects not only police decisions but also decisions by prosecutors and judges (myself included).
In any event I will continue to read the American dissident. I have to say that my favorite parts are your sketches: they are quite clever. You do seem to get angry a lot though. some of the things that disturb you just wouldn't disturb me.
As to my divorce, the main reason for it was that we just grew apart. He retired a few years ago (he was a lawyer) and I want to work until they kick me out of the door (mandatory retirement for judges is 70). He also bought a place in New Orleans where he grew up and I had no desire to live there. there was also a total absence of any physical intimacy for many years, and I just couldn't deal with that.
Maybe when you get back from Brittany we can go for a hike. I love this time of year! Janet

From: George Slone <todslone@hotmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2015 5:58 PM
To: janet.lea.sanders@gmail.com
Subject: Les Chic-Choc

Ciao signora,
Well, that is sort of funny! I of course do have a vague memory of that day in court. So it was you! How strange to cross paths 15 yrs later! Of course, I was more critical of the prosecutor and cop. What I did not like was how de facto I was judged by the cop, found guilty by the cop, and fined $99 (cost of towing my car) by the cop for a speech crime in the state of Massachusetts, where swearing in public is actually legal (according to my research).
Not sure how you can state this white/black thing since each case is clearly different, each trooper is different, each black or white suspect is different (behaves different). Evidently, I disagree with you on that. I have spent time in the south and definitely experienced black racism. I taught at two all black colleges (5 yrs--NC and LA) and experienced it there. Why is anti-white black racism NOT part of the purported conversation about racism? Why isn't black on black crime part of it? Moreover, I was attacked and robbed by three blacks in Baton Rouge. The local newspaper refused to report on it. How many journalists cover-up like those at that newspaper? So, I too have personal experience regarding the issue. I am against blind narratives like Black Lives Matter and White Privilege, which seem to be anti-white racist in nature. You mention you are concerned about bias. But might you be biased as a judge in favor of blacks?
RE The Amer Dissident (Bitter [francais] Dissident), thank you for checking it out. General statements without concrete examples are difficult, if not impossible, for me to dispute. Because I question and challenge does not necessarily mean that I get easily angry at things. Perhaps it is a matter of your perception of my printed words. I really do not get viscerally angry about things. Or when I do, I do get over it. To state I get easily angry is a kind of ad hominem deflection from the points made.   Again, what I do is question and challenge what I perceive to be untruths, lies, crushing of vigorous debate and free speech. And indeed I was quite "disturbed" (angry and sad!) by the massacre of those French cartoonists by Muslim fanatics. Hell, I used to read Charlie Hebdo and even had visited the office in Paris.
I am always grateful when a compliment flies my way. So, many thanks RE the sketches.
Thanks also for the thoughts on your divorce. For me, New Orleans is one of the most interesting cities (the amazing French influence) in the country with the exception of areas inhabited by black racists. My ex and I were definitely having intimacy issues too... and perhaps to be expected after 20 years of "doing it" with the same person. Oops, am I too honest here?
BTW, what really makes America great and different from Canada and Western Europe is the First Amendment. But I suspect you might be a hate-speech law proponent. Sadly, the First does not always de facto apply, unless one is willing to pay for it (i.e., pay for legal help). I would really be curious as to what you think about the permanent banning of my person w/o due process from neighborhood library. My civil rights are being denied today --I would be arrested if I attempted to attend a political or cultural event held there. The pres. of New England First Amendment Ctr is currently dragging its feet regarding my request for assistance. I told him I'd be happy if he simply wrote a letter to the library director.
The Concord arrest and library banning, however, were both very positive in that they gave me plenty to write and sketch about. Few people would believe what really happened vis-a-vis the library. Most would simply assume I'd done something illegal or what they think would be illegal.
Another thing that irritates me besides the de facto vs. the de jura reality of the First Amendment is the seeming lack of clarity regarding speech and behavior (de jura vs. de facto). As an example, jurisprudence in Mass. clearly indicates that it is legal for one to swear in public. Why therefore was I arrested for doing that in front of one cop, who lied and said others were present even though that wouldn't have theoretically mattered. It is a shame that our universities do not have a mandatory course on the First Amendment, Democracy, Vigorous Debate, and what one can and cannot do in front of a cop. At Cape Cod Community College, I was told by a cop that I did not have the right to record him, YET clearly I did have the right. The Concord cop also told me I did not have the right. Why are such important legal issues hazy? Why do our universities instead all have mandatory courses on diversity?  Why don't universities have departments of democracy and deans of democracy. Instead, they have departments of diversity and deans of multiculturalism.
Anyhow, I don't think I'm going to do Brittany now. I'm not keen on flying and it's a pain in the arse to get to Logan from here. If I don't go, I will definitely do it next year. It is possible I will be doing the Gaspe peninsula, Chic-Choc mountains, maybe also Nova Scotia (la partie francaise) in September.
Yes, a hike together would be nice! Thanks again for your feedback!
T.

The American Dissident: Literature, Democracy & Dissidence

Walden Pond State Reservation—Free Speech in Peril

The Judge