This was filed today by a hero of mine, Daniel Volchok and team at Wilmer Hale, LLP. Amicus Briefs filed by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the U.S. Army Appellate Defense Division. Oh boy…
I spent so much time seeking man-bestowed honor, the past few years, that I limited myself and my ability. I walked around ashamed instead of proud. I let other people determine the trajectory of my life. There comes a time when you learn where true honor comes from. God. Because I see things that way, I will achieve my dreams with the power that I have, rather than the force that I once exhausted. I don’t sweat this stuff anymore. People see my emotion and through it, they see my soul. They know who I am and for once, I do too.
…I have patience. I will become what I know I am.
Link to Brief: http://www.caaflog.com/2010/06/30/cert-petition-filed-in-smith/
Have I not called my college coaches to tell them that I fight on?
Have I not gotten in contact with the Coast Guard Report?
Have I not acknowledged those who saw my loss and smiled?
Have I seemed to care not?
Have I seemed to have moved on?
Do I seem no longer passionate about law and politics?
Why do I seem to wish, dream, and pray no more?
Because I am so driven and so focused. So much so that I am upset at myself for taking three minutes to write this. You don’t understand. I see Academy buddies going to the likes of Columbia and Harvard, for graduate school, and only wish for a moment that I remained on the same track that I was before. That’s how far I’ve come. My focus is so great that eating, sleeping, and dreaming are distractions.
I don’t need to dream anymore. I don’t need to wish anymore. I have another shot and I don’t plan on bogeying this putt, this time around. I’ve learned more from a college dropout and a few books than I have in all of my years of learning from the uber-educated New England elite. And I plan on doing something with it.
My case may go to the Supreme Court. Heck, with Ron Machen in the President’s ear, I may be pardoned some day. Who knows? But at this junction, vindication will only be a bonus because the rest of my life is solely up to me and not circumstances. And I don’t care about proving myself worthy of reevaluation, anymore. I don’t dream anymore. I’ve dreamed big before and I lived small. Now, I bridge the gap.
