RE: I Am a Paralegal. Does That Make Me a Sociopath?
I don't think you're a sociopath simply because you work in a system full of sociopaths. It sounds like you're interested in actual justice and fixing the horrid judgements that are routinely made within the "justice" system.
Now, if you were a prosecutor trying to convict a drunk driver of premeditated murder or trying to send a marijuana grower to prison for life, then sure - you'd likely qualify as a sociopath. People who want to intentionally harm others who have harmed nobody, or want to exceedingly/violently punish people for accidents or lapses of judgement - they're just not good humans. There's no place for them in society, especially in an alleged system of justice. The problem with the legal system is that there are far too many bad humans playing the roles of prosecutors and judges, and too many "public defenders" that just don't care about adequately representing the accused. And the plethora of laws...don't even get me started on those. And that's just criminal law.
Civil courts are an absolute mess too, especially when it comes to families. I seriously don't know how you do it. I would likely strangle every prosecutor and judge that I'd have to listen to in a courtroom. Law and those people creating, enforcing, and adjudicating it today has/have become a complete mockery of any sense of fairness or justice. Laws are unnecessary or don't make sense, enforcers violently enforce laws where there are no victims, prosecutors abuse the laws and overcharge people to try to "win" convictions, and judges frequently ignore laws and disregard the fact that there is often no injured party in the first place. It's insanity. I have zero faith in the system, and every time I hear stories like yours here, it just confirms what I already know.
/rant
Seriously - I would literally go insane trying to work within this system. You may not be a sociopath, but you might be crazy. Thanks for sharing anyway!
@ats-david, I was hoping to hear from you on here, since you're the go-to on the subject. You and @sterlinluxan. Thanks for thinking I'm crazy. ;0). Yes, it is crazy. Yes, I do want to strangle them all. And do you know how I do it? I write really good stuff. And the attorney I work for is insane. She's great. Our efforts may not strangle, but they stifle a bad ruling. I TOTALLY agree with the whole "bad humans" in charge. But you know what, there are a lot of good ones too. Doing it because they are like me. They want to do what they can in a broken system. And it's admirable.
Actually, I have a tremendous stomach for it. You might be surprised to hear that in a sense, I am energized most days. Why? Partly because I love the smell of paper. And the sound of wood floors under my feet. But mainly it's because I was in the civil courts off and on for 5 years for custody issues. Had I had a good attorney and some better direction, my life would have been different, and my kids' lives. I guess in a way I feel some satisfaction in knowing that our clients don't have to endure nearly what I did. Because we know what we are doing. I'm now married to a wonderful man (@aeonoftime) who appreciates what I've been through and adores the kids. And he puts up with the crazy, which is the main thing.
Also, you should write an article on the drug war. I know you've mentioned it in passing, but I think you should spend time and write a decent anarchist article on drug laws so I can get on there and debate it with you. I'm really not an authority on the subject, but I have lots of good questions and points.