Open letter to Capital News columnist Paul Hergott:
Your column, (Achieving Justice: Trinity Western Law School Bid Conflicting for Lawyers, April 24 Capital News), was an inspiration, a compelling read. The sincerity of your belief in the justice of your position was palpable and lucid. The fact, that as a lawyer your skill has been trained, nurtured, and honed over the years, cannot be allowed to detract from such sincerity. Well done sir.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged,” that the practice of law is a game conceived by lawyers, played by lawyers, for the benefit of lawyers. The law, established on biblical, and some might suggest Christian, principles is now just a game. The object, as with most games, is winning, in this particular context, by the skillful manipulation of language to force concession from the opponent.
Your quoting the TWU Mission Statement is a good example. Your omission of substantial parts of the statement, would mislead the uninformed into believing that your quotation was the entire statement. Missing, amongst others, is the undertaking not to fornicate, and to adhere to Christian principles, the Ten Commandments,and “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Also those at TWU are admonished to remember that “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
A commitment of this nature during formative years is likely to produce graduates who are eagerly recruited, not only because of the excellence of the training but because of their mores, demeanor and work ethic. The nursing program is a prime example. Similar to a computer—rubbish in, rubbish out.
May it be acknowledged that the vast majority of us, almost without exception, have an incredulous, and horrified revulsion when we hear of sex offenders, the senseless abuse of the innocent or helpless, or murder, and so on? But, within the rules of your game, the counsels deliberately, and wilfully, disassociate themselves from personal sentiment, and still strive to win the game, whilst strictly adhering to the rules.
Mr. Hergott, why do you imagine that TWU graduates, possessing the attributes described, would be unable to disassociate themselves from their quintessential character, and fail to adhere to the rules?
Mr. Hergott, the sincerity you assume, as sincerity often is when ill founded, is worthless. For example I’m certain a killer is totally sincere in his belief, that the death of his victim is a viable solution to his perception of his problem. As, indeed, perhaps was The Final Solution, if we are to believe the historical records, a sincerely endorsed tenet of the Third Reich.
An argument might possibly be made that your arguments, are, at best, specious and spurious.
Your governing body has given “the thumbs up,” as you so quaintly put it. A suggestion could be made or even advice be offered, that you stop wasting time and what could be interpreted as padding legal fees.
Personally, I would welcome advice from a lawyer who was of the belief that, indeed, the love of money was the root of all evil. Maybe I am not alone.
P. Herridge,
West Kelowna
