What’s in my nightstand? Vol 2

by: Judge Lassiter

I like to read. That is no secret. And as I ask you to vote for me, the Judge, to continue to serve this wonderful County, I feel like you need to know about me, the man. I firmly believe that reading opens our minds to understanding the world around us, imagining what it could be or simply ‘feeding our brains.’ When I was a GAL, many of my GAL kids would hear me ask- ‘what are you reading’ and talk to them about the importance of reading and give book suggestions. 

So- what’s on my nightstand currently? I recently started In the Arena by Pete Hegseth. He begins with the heart of speech by one of our great Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, that was given at the University of Paris and commonly known as ‘The man in the arena.’ Our now Secretary of Defense used to carry a copy of this speech with him while he served in the military. In no way do I put myself on the same sentence as these two men, but I have this speech hanging in my judicial chambers and it daily inspires me.  

I love the challenge of this speech. Don’t be a naysayer, don’t sit on the sidelines, don’t just complain- DO SOMETHING. Be the change, if you will. 

“…It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them 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, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high 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 neither know victory nor defeat…”

So far, Secretary Hegseth comes from the premise of the call to good citizenship and patriotism for this great experiment that is the Republic of the United States. He examines and explains that all of us are called to learn and grow and strive here. It is a battle that we must engage to keep our Nation great.