I often say I am a lawyer when discussing the First Amendment aspects of a JW discussion. Most people would deny them their rights b/c they hate them so much. I hate them so much that I am livid. If I just reported case law without stating my background, one would wonder why a garbage collector has such a stance.
The other times I mention I am a lawyer occur when I mention how nice my life is now sans Witnesses. Unlike my classmates and colleagues, law was off the table. College was unthinkable. Indeed, my father forced me to quit a candy striping position that mattered so much to me and he called my employer so I was dismissed. So, yes, I am proud and it still feels unreal that something nice can happen to me all these years later.
Finally, I am certain the overwhelming majority of my classmates are not picked apart b/c they are lawyers. This wound not happen at an Episcopal site. It would not happen at a private club. I practiced corporate law for the most part. CEOS are savvy users of lawyers. They are not intimidated. Legal fees are an accepted cost of doing business. From my own life experience, I realize this is not how lawyers are perceived by regular humans. It is not a cost of being human. The reason for seeing a lawyer is charged. These experiences don't make me an abulance chaser..
If someone is so insecure that they take umbrage, they should look at themselves. I commented on my opinion of this site. Personally, the posters who remarked how we tend to selectively see only the good stuff at first seem to have a lot of wisdom. I have a brain, yes, an affirmation, and I would like to use it. No one can fault my opinion because it is my opinion, not objective fact.
Those who cast stones at this post have gunned for me since day one. Tellingly, there were very astute comments regarding my post and some just low ones. I refuse to dumb down. There are many posters here who don't dumb down and I admire them greatly.
It is probably a good thing diversity is here. We all know just how much diversity is treasured by the Witnesses. As for me and my family, I prefer a different cup of tea. Wanting a different mix does not make me an ogre. If I knew someone with specialized knowledge such as a physican, architect, accountant, engineer, I'd value their expertise. Those insights you find so wanting fetch a strong market value, even in today's economy.