CLASS

Rumpole,

Thank you for the kind words. Please do me one favor and post the following comments:

To all the people who supported me throughout my campaign, I say thank you. Your kindness will forever be remembered and appreciated. I am humbled by your show of support.

To the people who say Judge Larry Schwartz will come back worse than before, I say you're wrong. If nothing else, this experience has undoubtedly demonstrated to him that respect, courtesy, and kindness are of the utmost importance and will be demanded by all who come before him. I am sure he will be a better judge because of this and I wish him and his family all the best.

To the person who called me a perennial loser : You and your friends sit around and bitch all day about how poorly certain judges treated you or how their lack of legal knowledge astounds you. You call people dumb and stupid and an ass. Well, I didn't sit around and bitch. I didn't sit at a computer and attack people while cowarding behind anonymity. I stepped up to the plate and struck out, but at least I went down swinging. I did something that you don't have the courage, the strength, or the tenacity to do. You are a person of words, I am a person of action. I rather be the latter, than the former.

And finally, as to all the attacks on my husband: I am married to Jeff Locke. We have been married for 9 years and we have two beautiful girls. I am proud to be married to him. And I am overjoyed that he has honored me with his commitment, his loyalty, and his support. You can only wish that you were 1/2 the husband and father that Jeff Locke is.

Thank you all.
See you in court.
Gina Mendez.

Rumpole is humbled in the presence of class.
We are reminded of this:

"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."
Sir Winston Churchill

And of course, our all time favourite quote, that every trial lawyer who has tasted the bitter sting of defeat should look to in times of despair. We hope Ms. Mendez, and all candidates who lost on Tuesday can take comfort in this:




It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt:
From a speech given in Paris at the Sorbonne in 1910

Ms. Mendez and Judge McWhorter are among the proud who dared to be great and their place shall never be among the cold and timid who never had the courage to try.