“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.” PeopleHas BeensProblemUsedLeaderGreaterDangerousRevolutionVietnameseMaoGreater Power Author:Lynne Stewart
“I'm particularly committed to the political people who needed defense. I understand that they're fighting a bigger war than just, "Let me go get some money for cocaine tonight."” PeopleWarPoliticalFightingNeededLet MeBiggerCommittedDefenseTonightCocaineLet Me Go Author:Lynne Stewart
“Lawyering is very individualistic. There are lawyers who are going to be that persistent birddog, they're never going to give up on the client, they're going to defend people.” PeopleGivingGiving UpLawyerClientsPersistentIndividualistic Author:Lynne Stewart
“The only way not to be afraid is to join with other people who are also afraid.” PeopleWay Author:Lynne Stewart
“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?” PeopleSchoolSmart Author:Lynne Stewart
“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.” PeoplePartyAcceptingAmbitionBullshitLifelongLearning ExperienceLifelong Learning Author:Lynne Stewart
“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.” PeopleThinkingPastResponsibilityMissingCrySonMy Son Author:Lynne Stewart
“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.” PeopleProblemKidsTodaySchoolBuildingLawyerBrokeSomething NewStraightforwardLaw School Author: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.” PeopleThinkingTodayPastPrisonLawyerGod Knows Author:Lynne Stewart
“We had people who did housing, people who did anti-war, people who did schools. Everyone operated in their own niche, but not separately. We all were together on certain issues when it was important. Everybody was active in the '60s. I feel that there's a lot of active radical thought today but not much action.” PeopleImportantTodayActionSchoolTogetherRadicalNiche Author:Lynne Stewart
“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.” PeopleThinkingTodayRememberDiscussionRemember When Author:Lynne Stewart
“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 Author:Lynne Stewart
