Alan Shore, My Moral Cornerstone

As I sit here watching the last five minutes of this evening's "Boston Legal," I am once again brought to tears by one of Alan Shore's infamous closing arguments. Never mind that David E. Kelly chose to ignore how the legal system really works with the prosecution bearing the burden of proof, but listening to "right-now" events depicted by the ever-cool James Spader with the help of a spot-on William Shatner, I am constantly reminded of what really matters in this world.

As pathetic as it is to get my news and current events from a fictional show that has been moved around on the TV schedule enough for my DVR to want to combust, it still remains my moral touchstone that makes this liberals heart bleed. The show is apologetically leftist, but Denny Crane's Red State appeal seeps through occasionally as well.

On tonight's episode, Alan takes the case of a young man whose brother was killed in a military hospital, and even though the doctor admitted to the wrong-doing, they are incapable of being sued because of what else, an antiquated law. Of course, to Craine, Pool and Schmidt, the fact that this is out of their hands is not something they listen to. In the comedic ruckus, Alan and Denny decide to wager $50,000 on the fact that Alan won't win this case...something that is not only unethical but illegal. The judge allows for one hour of witness testimony and arguments to decide whether they can go to trial, and during this time is when once again, I am taught that my life really isn't that bad, and many people have it far worse than I do.

In Alan Shore's closing testimony he mentions that if what the doctors did to an average citizen in an average hospital, we would all be raking in the millions, but because it was done in a military hospital (on American soil might I add) they cannot be touched. The worst part about it all is that the military recruits the poorest of the poor because they, unlike some of the more fortunate, do not have another choice after high school, and they are they ones left fighting our war...and this is why we do not care. It's not our fight anymore, unfortunately. He even brings up his own unlawful wager placed on the case to make his point....even he didn't care. At this point is when I start to bawl.

Why is it that I need a fictitious television show to teach me about the most disgusting and vile of our laws? Because that's the way everyone wants it to be. God forbid we be an educated audience who actually knows what we are voting for on November 4th. Who wants to know that Bush has twice vetoed a bipartisan bill allowing children's health care to be omnipresent and affordable. Who wants to know the Republicans keep shutting down bills that extend on the GI Bill allowing more education for our veterans, because guess what...we need them to stay in the military---not get educated. Who wants to know...

As I mentioned before, David E. Kelly et al are definitely preaching to us Liberals, but that doesn't make it any less real. All I know is that this is indeed the last season of "Boston Legal" and I am truly going to miss those white chairs on the balcony. It almost makes me want to drink a low ball of Scotch and smoke a cigar...all while fighting the GOP of course.