View from the Cheap Seats

October 17-23, 2016

By William O. "Bill" James

Beach party

I have often said that I should live at the beach. I have had many conversations with those that would listen during which I explored the reasons that I do not live in some tropical paradise where I have a small office with a coat rack that I would keep my old sport coat and a non-matching tie. I would only put them on when I was forced to go to court once or twice a month. I would be out on the beach each day by early afternoon and functionally living in my own version of “Margaritaville.”

I guess there are many reason why I don’t live on the beach. We can start with the fact that my family and career are here in Central Arkansas. I don’t want to be alone on the beach and I am pretty sure that Patti would not follow me. It is a fun dream, but I guess it is just not meant to be.

After what happened last week to Florida and the southern east coast, I am fully reminded of another reason that I don’t live on the beach. When the weather is bad, it can be very bad. I can’t even imagine how bad it would be to have to evacuate my home and leave all behind while fleeing a storm. I can kind of imagine how it would be but, when I do, I have what can only be described as a physical reaction. Frankly, I do not do very well when we miss a day or two of work for snow. I can’t imagine how it would feel to lose everything to a storm. That would even be true even if it was all insured.

We have storms in Arkansas, but overall this is a good place to live and the big weather problems we have seem minor compared to the devastation we have seen over the last week. I guess the real reason I live here in the “Natural State” and not at the beach is because I want to.

Debate this

There has been quite a bit of buzz about the first two presidential debates. The buzz surrounding the debates is not related to the keen ideas that have been battered about or the leadership qualities that either candidate has shown during these, circus like events. Like shock jocks, the candidates seem to be trying to one up the other in the race to the bottom. Even when claiming that they are trying to stand above the fray, each has shown a refusal to focus on anything but attacking the other in an attempt to make themselves look palatable when compared to the other. When, in the history of this great country, has there been so much public disdain for major party candidates?

One will get elected, that is for sure. Close to a majority of the citizens of the United States will be disappointed at the result of the upcoming election. Let’s face it, they will be mad. It is not hard to see how the next four years will be anything more than stagnation and political wrangling. With the country so equally divided how will we move forward? How will we deal with things like health care, terrorism, and the education of our youth when we refuse to look for ways that we can work together and build on what we have here in the United States?

I don’t readily have the answer. I don’t know how long it will take to find one. The results of this election are unlikely to bring it to light. I recently heard a young person say they thought we needed a war to remind our country of what we have and how important it is that we work together. I was less than enthusiastic about the edict, but I have to admit I can see the value in what he says. There is a lot of pressure that has built up and it seems that we are all seeking someone to blame for whatever it is that we mad about today. I guess we need a common enemy. I don’t know if a war is inevitable, but if we are not careful, we are going to find ourselves in one. The war may be external or it may be internal. Either way, we need to find a way to get along, or we are all going to wish we had. That is true for everybody. That is especially true for those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!

Bill James is a criminal defense lawyer and co-founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway, and Fayetteville, Arkansas. He may be reached at Bill@JamesFirm.com.