The Colonel, Claptrap And Jerry Spence

Jerry Spence, one of the nation’s most colorful and agressive trial lawyers, has been on a lifelong mission. He would be pleased to have someone describe it as “a mind boggling account of how “corporations” were the source of all evil in the US.”

The Intergalactic Source of Truth seems an odd place to find an article criticizing Jerry Spence, one of the nation’s most colorful and agressive trial lawyers. But, there it is. A piece entitled, “The Instinct for Claptrap.” Jerry can certainly defend himself so I will not waste words in that effort. What I want to say has to do with the mission that Jerry has been on for much of his career. Col. B. Bunny may have the mission right when he describes Jerry’s words as “a mind boggling account of how “corporations” were the source of all evil in the US.”

Jerry would be pleased that someone had encapsulated his experiences and message so precisely.

Most of the article is pasted below as a tribute to Jerry. Keep up the fight, my friend.

Mark Twain once observed that someone who is a mechanic wouldn’t think to express an opinion on animal husbandry or crop rotation to a farmer but every man amongst us thinks himself qualified to express an opinion about politics.

Jerry Spence, an extraordinary trial lawyer, published an audio tape wherein he provided an excellent account of the egregious conduct at Ruby Ridge of the Dept of Justice, the FBI, and the US Marshals Service. Mr. Spence had represented Randy Weaver and knew whereof he spoke.

The flip side of the tape, however, was a mind boggling account of how “corporations” were the source of all evil in the US.

He had just gotten through describing a horrendous case of federal oppression, an FBI policy of shoot on sight that killed Mr. Weaver’s wife, and a Marshals Service’s gunning down of Mr. Weaver’s 12-year-old son — none of which had anything to do with corporations and everything to do with bureaucratic hubris and political unaccountability. But what exercised Mr. Spence was corporate greed and, if we recall correctly, pollution, with not a mention of any of the political implications of how Mr. Weaver had been treated.

You’d have thought that Ruby Ridge, Waco, and Whitewatergate had somehow been the love child of 3M, Coors, Caterpillar Tractor, and Toys R Us.

It is true that the Colonel’s own understanding of the constitutional scheme did not exactly arrive at an early hour. The same is true of the Colonel’s understanding of Islam, such as it is. We are all deficient in our understanding of the workings of government and the ambitions of twerps.

However, it is a sad testament to the difficulty of arriving at a sensible understanding of public matters that a highly intelligent man as Mr. Spence could be satisfied with such a pathetic take on matters of importance.

I mean, doesn’t anyone know that it’s Jerry Falwell and conservative talk radio that are the real enemies of America?