So I was driving with Jen, and I wondered out loud whether the girl who hit her had received notice from the court that we are suing her.
Jen: Yeah, I just picture a really angry Hispanic woman.
Me: Wait. You never told me she was Hispanic.
Jen: You didn’t ask.
Me: I don’t want to sue a Hispanic girl!
And as illogical as that is,
Jen responds: See. I had my misgivings.
Me: I thought she was some rich white sorority girl. I thought her parents pushed her to lie to the insurance company.
Jen: She definitely was not rich.
Me: I don’t want to sue a poor Hispanic family!
Jen: I don’t know where you got rich sorority girl from.
Me: Well, you TOTALLY misrepresented that intersection.
Jen: But the sorority thing, that’s all you.
I know. You don’t know what to do with this. I don’t either. I’ll probably delete this post.
Mommy on the Floor 
I’d likely be thinking (and saying) the same thing.
No, don’t delete it. Your privileged white guilt is amusing. I want to know though why you assume the Hispanic woman must be poor.
Btw, where I come from you’re not allowed to say Hispanic anymore either.
Thank-you, Adelias.
Virgin – I didn’t just assume she was poor. It was the way Jen said she was DEFINITELY not rich. I know there is a whole world of economic status between rich and poor, but it was the way she said it. And I had no idea Hispanic wasn’t ok. (I feel like I am in a Seinfeld episode).
I feel you. Keep the post up. As dumb as it is, this would have influenced my decision to sue, too.
I completely understand- when I worked for a super small general practice law firm, I always felt guilty when we sued individuals and families rather than insurance cos. In this economy, no one can afford to pay a judgment unless you’re bernard madoff! that said, how else can jen be made whole and how else will the guilty pay?
Good for you for posting this! I feel like so few people are willing to make themselves vulnerable, but how else do we grow and change?
Most of the folks that I know use Latino/a, but I’m not the authority – I can’t even decide if I should call myself black, Black or African-American.
BTW – I enjoy your blog and am continually amazed that you are managing to go to law school. My daughter is about the same age as your son and I barely made it through one class last fall.
Hi Lisa, thanks for commenting. Race is so hard to talk about in our society. And the people who do talk about it are usually idiots. Everyone else is trying to be careful, but that doesn’t always promote dialogue about real issues.
Are you calling me an idiot or careful? Either way, I’m offended.
Virgin, I know this may come as a shock but I am not always talking about you.
It is shocking. Terribly shocking. I’ll be applying for a seat-change in crim pro.
I won’t let you. I need someone to elbow me every time the Supremes decide to do something horrid to a defendant.
Ha ha, I completely know where you’re coming from! Don’t delete it, even those who won’t admit it can completely relate!!
i googled “why don’t someone admit to setting you up?” and your came up, i accessed it because the words, “where I admit to things I probably shouldn’t” which i do a lot. can i join the club here? rsvp to e-mail