So try not to laugh but I watched some TV crime shows to prepare and develop skills and knowledge for my jobs.  My favs are Law and Order – Criminal Intent and one that is now relatively unknown and old – also, to my knowledge, not on any of the streaming services.  That show is Homicide – Life on the Street and the spiritual predecessor to the more well-known HBO series – The Wire.  Both set in my “home” state of Maryland – also the state of lacrosse, oriole, crabs, and some famous cake that I can’t remember why for – the show follows the Baltimore Police Department’s homicide squad or murder police.  The show is based on a book written by one of the main forces behind the Wire – Ed Burns, who was Baltimore PD and a teacher.  Ladies and gentlemen, that is hardcore of hardcore.  Baltimore is pretty much the doppelgänger of Philadelphia – tough, mean, gritty.  But with a great soul.  I even emulated how the homicide squad tracked its solved and unsolved cases when I tuned in my weekly caseload updates.

This one is about speaking for otters.

One of the running themes of both the book and series is speaking for those who couldn’t – in this case, the dead.   This concept is applicable to other victims and those in less advantageous, powerful positions.   Maybe it’s because half my family is Third World country ghetto superstar territory or the immigrant thing but I’ve generally been drawn to fighting for the underdog.  Being a DC sports fan probably has something to do with that.  On my law school admission essay, I opened with a verse from the book of Isaiah – exhorting others to stop doing wrong, learning to do right.  To defend the oppressed, protect the fatherless, and to plead the case of the widow.  I really believed in this and probably still do.

This is about justice – not just criminal but economic, political, racial, and even faith.  It is also about access and platform.  My high school Spanish teacher said my writing expresses what many feel but I could do it uniquely.  And I think this is just a continuation of what I’ve done for a good chunk of my professional and personal life.

Pearl Jam reference here.  In my opinion, one of the reasons why they are so enduring is that their songs resonate with many who have experienced the spectrum of human emotion.  And this is powerful, human.

One of the surprising elements is that shows up in Homicide is the presence of hope, joy, grace, and even forgiveness amidst the carnage and darkness of human nature.  Unlike many Law and Order episodes that are ripped from the headlines to titillate and gain ratings, the cases in Homicide are more run of the mill, but this can be more impactful as they ring true.  It is grounded in reality.

Eowyn will be watching some version of the three bands that were the soundtrack of my life this year.  They all bring something to the table – the transcendence of U2, the mysticism of Led Zeppelin, and the realness of Pearl Jam.

They all speak for others.