You have no idea how troubled I am by the shredding of our legal system. I could go on for days talking about how Bush took a crayon to the Constitution and the rest of our elected officials signed off on it. There is not enough space here for me to discuss the Hamdan case and the behavior surrounding it. We can only thank our lucky stars that there were some justices (not Justice Scalia who had already proclaimed his disposition before the case had been argued) were willing to draw the line. The reality is that our Congress brought us within a cunt's hair of losing our Constitution for good. It was frightening.

When we allow passions and fear to dictate the operation of our legal system we create chaos and remove any semblance of fairness. Ben Franklin had it right when he said that those who would sacrifice a freedom for a little liberty deserve neither. There has scarcely been a less patriotic act than the enactment of the patriotic act.

I do not think Sen. Clinton is without fault and I was profoundly disappointed when she voted in favor of the Patriot Act. To me, voting in favor of the Patriot Act was the legislative equivalent of taking the Constitution and wiping your ass with it.

As an officer of the court, I am troubled by the circumvention of the Constitution. I think anyone who misuses his/her degree to abuse the rights of individuals rather than uphold them is disgusting. It is unethical and erodes the principles of our legal system.

I think that the best way I can help fight battles on these and other legal issues is to for me to roll up my sleeves and jump in, which I have been doing since I started law school. Undermining Sen. Obama's campaign would do nothing to contribute to such an effort.

I do not know that Sen. Obama is the solution to the problems you asked me about. I am well aware that my membership in multiple minority groups makes me vulnerable on many fronts. I am also aware that there are larger concerns than my dislike of Sen. Obama. I understand that you and others think that I would be wise to ignore my beef with Obama because you see him as a wonderful man who can lead us to a wonderful place. I do not like having to subordinate my values to one another. I would not be happy with myself if I voted for Obama. I could not live with it. But, I am not going out on a mission to help destroy it. I am not a McCain staffer. I just want to do my own thing and be an effective advocate for causes dear to me my own way.

My problems with Sen. Obama are not limited to the more personal one I have with him. I do not have faith in his ability to govern effectively. I know it is fashionable for people to run as Washington outsiders. Hell, why has John McCain, who has been in the Senate for a million years, still clung to that tired image. I do not hate our government institutions and I think that voting for someone just because s/he is a "Washington outsider" is unwise. We need someone who understands politics beyond motivating voters. The Bush Administration is a perfect example of the dangers of "governing" in campaign mode. The Bush Administration is also instructive of the dangers of having a president who does not understand the power and the institution of the Congress. What I think no longer matters, though. There is no need for me to engage or interact with the notion of a President Obama because the person I wanted is no longer running. But that does not mean I cannot influence my community.