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NEW YEAR'S ISN'T JUST FOR JANUARY
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As an American I, along with others around the world, enjoy the secular New Year holiday. It’s a time to celebrate, reflect, and make resolutions to be more kind, eat less, exercise more, and generally be a better person. We get to clean the slate and start fresh. Awesome, right? As someone Jewish, I get a second shot at New Year’s. Every fall we celebrate Rosh Hashanah — which is the New Year on the lunar calendar (as opposed to the secular solar calendar). Jews “celebrate” the new year by praying, repenting for our transgressions (during Yom Kippur which comes 10 days later), and soul searching. Nothing like two bites at the apple.
As a Jewish-American it’s been a month to reflect on. On August 12th we witnessed the neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville with true loathing. We saw people unafraid to show their faces and preach their hate in an organized, frightening display reminiscent of Germany in 1933. They openly chanted “Jews will not replace us!” It was ugly and only got uglier when fighting erupted and a person tragically lost her life. And it continues to spiral downward as we see the polarization of many segments of our society—on TV as well as the internet.
For the record, I HATE Nazis. I think I’m safe in saying that. But, hold onto your hats, I believe they have a right to peacefully assemble and voice their hate. It wasn’t long ago, only 40 years ago (in 1977) that Nazis marched in Skokie, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago with a high concentration of Jewish residents). The City of Skokie tried to prevent this Nazi march—but a Jewish lawyer defended their rights. Obviously, this was before the internet so it didn’t explode like Charlottesville did, but it was still ugly and mean and dangerous. The only thing more frightening than the Charlottesville marchers is the possibility they would not be able to march. While the white supremacists didn’t have a permit to kill, they did have a permit to march. And the opposition had the right to peaceably assemble and voice their opposition to the Nazis. But no one has the right to shut up or intimidate another side, using violence, just because they don’t like their message.
As Former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once explained, the framers of our First Amendment knew “fear breeds repression; that repression breeds hate; that hate menaces stable government; that the path of safety lies in the opportunity to discuss freely supposed grievances and proposed remedies; and that the fitting remedy for evil counsels is good ones.”
My hope is the Neo-Nazi message will be rejected by all good Americans. My hope is we can find rational, mature ways to communicate our ideas, and have the maturity to listen to other people’s opinions and ignore them if we disagree. But seeing who can “out-protest the protesters” is becoming the mainstream in this country and must stop—or else the constitutional right to peaceably assemble will become a thing of the past. Kind of like the DVD player. And I still like my DVD player!
To all of those celebrating Rosh Hashanah I wish you a sweet and healthy New Year.
Warmly,
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SERVICE · EXPERIENCE · RESULTS
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LATEST NEWS
Mallory joins FGMC as a seasoned trial attorney. She has spent three years as a prosecutor in the Denver City Attorney’s office, and before that she was a deputy district attorney in Kansas City, MO and Springfield, MO. Mallory’s practice will focus on representing law enforcement officers in disciplinary, employment and administrative actions in Denver and throughout the state of Colorado. She will also be representing clients in criminal matters. Mallory has been active in Colorado Women’s Bar Association and the Colorado LGBT Bar Association, and also spends time volunteering in the community. She will continue to be involved with the Denver Children’s Advocacy Center and SafeHouse Denver. Welcome Mallory!
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SETTING UP SHOP - AN INTRODUCTION TO STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
Picture this: you and Hank have been best friends since your glory days at college. Even though you both now have careers, spouses and children, you still manage to find time to escape to the mountains every now and then to partake in your favorite activity, fly fishing. One day, while you and Hank are out on the river casting lines and catching some pretty impressive rainbows, Hank leans over t you and says, "This is the life! Don't you wish we could do this for a living?" To which you respond, "Hank, you are a genius. Let's go into business together and teach others how to fly fish!" And with that, you and Hank have taken your first steps into the exciting world of business ownership.
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THE RISE OF CRYPTOCURRENCY AND NEW FIELD OF LITIGATION
Created by an unnamed programmer in 2009, Bitcoin was initially ignored by the mainstream business world and may have been best known for its use by hackers and criminals for anonymous purchases on dark marker exchanges. But in the past few years, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have exploded, reaching a total marker capitalization of over $147 Billion. Cryptocurrencies are considered a disruptive technology. by many, poised to transform banking and payment industries forever. Whether these new currencies continue to soar or come crashing down, lawyers in many areas, including litigation, must adapt to their emergence.
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FGMC &
BRIAN PROFFITT
WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR LIQUOR LICENSED & RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS:
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3669 Star Ranch Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
La Cocinita Mexican Restaurant
4935 W. 29th Ave., Denver, CO 80212
64 Centennial Blvd., Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
1025 Garden of the Gods Road, Suite A, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
12368 W. 64th Ave., Unit 12, Arvada, CO 80040
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