Quotes by Lynne Stewart

Lynne Stewart

Being a lawyer, first of all, think creatively. Think, “How can we deal with this particular case in a way we haven’t dealt with similar ones in the past?” Second, don’t be afraid of the people who are willing to defend your client. I find too many lawyers say, “Keep that defense committee away from me!” If it weren’t for my defense committee, I’d be sitting in federal prison in Texas today. And the press! You’ve got to learn to handle the press because god knows the government does all the time.

Past

People

Thinking

How could I have been the valedictorian, the smartest, and never known Harlem existed? As a result, I began a lifelong learning experience, because I could not accept what the party line was with education – that these people want to live like this, these people don’t have ambition, they don’t want to work. You know, all the usual bullshit.

Ambition

Party

People

I couldn’t add my talent, which is prodigious, to a defense of someone even accused of hurting a child.

Add

Children

Hurt

I didn’t know Harlem existed. I didn’t know there was such a place, because I grew up in white Queens, where five miles is 100 miles. So I went to the school and, being a smart cookie – as they called us in those days – I had a million questions. How did this place exist? How come I didn’t know about it? Why are people living like this? Do they want to live like this?

People

School

Smart

I don’t have any problem with Mao or Stalin or the Vietnamese leaders or certainly Fidel locking up people they see as dangerous. Because so often, dissidence has been used by the greater powers to undermine a people’s revolution.

Leader

People

Revolution

I feel for young people today. When I came out of law school, yes, we were broke, we had kids, we had problems. But it was straightforward. I didn’t have to say, “My God, I am $80,000 in debt, I have to get a job, I have to pay it back, my life is ruined otherwise.” We were able to go forward and work toward building something new, and that’s what we did. Today many lawyers are unable to feel free to be advocates.

Kids

People

School

I got a job as a children’s librarian at PS 175 in Harlem, and that changed everything. That was an epiphany. I didn’t know Harlem existed. I didn’t know there was such a place, because I grew up in white Queens, where five miles is 100 miles.

Children

Jobs

Queens

I loved the work. I missed it for years after I was arrested. I couldn’t drive past 100 Centre New York City Criminal Court, that whole area, without crying, seeing people going to court and knowing I couldn’t do that anymore. I still do miss it. I don’t think I could ever go back. Maybe I could consider second-seating my son or someone else whose work I respect. But I could not take on any responsibility. I’m out of step; I haven’t kept up.

Past

Responsibility

Son

I spoke in front of a huge gathering in Seattle, and someone got up and said, “I’m just so afraid.” I said, “The only way not to be afraid is to join with other people who are also afraid.”

People

I think people are afraid. I remember when we’d have discussions in the ’60s among people who were active. We’d say, “Well, people are afraid,” and the answer to us was, “If you’re afraid, you know you should be doing something.” People are afraid today, but they’re not doing anything.

People

Thinking

Today

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Ambition

Believe

Calling

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Children

Citizens

Clients

Cop

Creative

Criminals

Decision

Defense

Doe

Done

Doorstep

Fighting

Giving Up

Goal

God Knows

Government

Guilty

Guy

Home

Hurt

Important

Instinct

Jail

Jobs

Justice

Kids

Leader

Levels

Mistake

Party

Past

People

Police

Queens

Radical

Real

Reputation

Responsibility

Revolution

School

Self

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Quotes by Lynne Stewart

Lynne Stewart

I couldn’t add my talent, which is prodigious, to a defense of someone even accused of hurting a child.

I don’t have any problem with Mao or Stalin or the Vietnamese leaders or certainly Fidel locking up people they see as dangerous. Because so often, dissidence has been used by the greater powers to undermine a people’s revolution.

I got a job as a children’s librarian at PS 175 in Harlem, and that changed everything. That was an epiphany. I didn’t know Harlem existed. I didn’t know there was such a place, because I grew up in white Queens, where five miles is 100 miles.

I spoke in front of a huge gathering in Seattle, and someone got up and said, “I’m just so afraid.” I said, “The only way not to be afraid is to join with other people who are also afraid.”

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The Future Blueprint

The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

The Autobiography

The Behaviour Diary

The Dating Diary

The Relationship Therapist

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