Summer Workin' and Schoolin'

So, it's finally summer and Chris and I are both working and going to summer school. Chris is clerking for the Department of Interior Office of the Solicitor (http://www.doi.gov/solicitor/) and I am clerking for the Reynolds Law Firm (http://www.reynoldslaw.us).

We are both taking Constitutional Law II with Professor Dwight Holton. See http://www.lclark.edu/dept/summer/prof_holton.html

The synopsis for our class from the web is: Building on the foundation of the basic constitutional principles of governmental powers, separation of powers, and federalism, this course takes constitutional law into the realm of individual rights. Analysis of substantive due process, equal protection, fundamental rights, free speech, and religion clauses of the First Amendment.

Our class is two hours long four nights a week and the reading each day takes longer than two hours to complete - so it is pretty intensive.

We are now discussing substantive due process and reading the landmark cases Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education.

Harlan's dissent in Plessy was going so beautifully: "But in the view of the constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here. Our constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The humblest is the peer of the most powerful. The law regards man as man, and takes no account of his surroundings or of his color when his civil rights as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land are involved..."

And then the analysis started going downhill: "There is a race so different from our own that we do not permit those belonging to it to become citizens of the United States. [I] allude to the Chinese race. But by the statute in question, a Chinaman can ride in the same passenger coach with white citizens of the United States, while citizens of the black race in Louisiana . . . are yet declared to be criminals, liable to imprisonment, if they ride in a public coach occupied by citizens of the white race."

Reading these cases has been really historically interesting. It hadn't occurred to me that when Plessy was decided that Chinese were perceived as "a race so different from our own" so as not to permit Chinese people from becoming U.S. citizens.

Plessy aside, I had thought that this summer I would have more time to myself - to maybe take a prenatal yoga class or a Birthing From Within class or just have time to prepare more homemade meals. And I do, I guess, have more time than I did - but this whole summer school and part-time work situation is not as laid back as I had expected. My boss, Lorena, has basically advised me to forget about summer and accept the fact that I won't have time to myself for another 25 years... Sigh.

We are just waiting now to hear back from Vivante Midwifery to see if our insurance will cover their services. We will know Monday. And then we can begin preparing for the home birth. (http://www.vivantemidwifery.com)

I will try to post some new photos soon.