I have just come back from watching my father be sworn in as the first ever President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. (If you want to watch him be sworn in too, you can do so here.) I've never blogged about my dad before because I was worried that people might think of me differently if they knew that he's not Mr but Lord Phillips (though it's something I've never hidden and it's easy enough to find out), but I am too proud of him today not to mention it and he is wonderful and I love him and if people think of me differently because my dad has a title then really that's their problem.The ceremony swearing in all the justices to the new Supreme Court was short and simple but I felt honoured to be there in the brand new court, watching the first ever Supreme Court judges begin their roles. They sat in a row, in their never-before-worn robes which will be handed down from judge to judge for generations, and one by one took their oaths and signed their names in the book where all the Supreme Court judges will sign their names for years to come. My father's name is the very first name in that book. It is a big book, with a lot of gilt-edged pages, and it will take a very long time to fill. All the judges who sign it over hundreds of years will be able to turn back the pages and see my father's signature there, at the top of the first page, in handwriting I know as well as my own.
During the swearing in ceremony I noticed that three different books were sworn on by the judges, two Bibles - I think one judge brought his own - and a Torah. The atheist judges did not have a book to swear on. This got me thinking, if you had to take a solemn and binding oath on any non-religious book, what would you choose? This is not the same as asking for your favourite book, but for a book whose values you would find impossible to sully by reneging on your promise. In honour of today, I am choosing Winnie the Pooh, which symbolises for me the innocence and happiness of childhood. In particular I am choosing the hardback edition of Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner from which my father used to read my bedtime stories to me when I was very young.
And you?
Posts
18 comments:
Oh be proud, Marie. What a fantastic post, and a great honour for your dad. I think my book would be To Kill a Mocking Bird. Not only because it's my favourite book of all time, but also because Atticus represents all that is true and pure about the justice system. He stands up for the oppressed and poor who have no one to shout for them. A pretty good motivation for anyone working law I'd think.
Congratulations to your dad. What a wonderful wonderful thing for you all.
Oh, very good, very appropriate choice. I think all atheist judges should swear their oaths on To Kill a Mockingbird!
Actually, at the moment I am very proud of my country that they didn't force atheist judges to swear on a holy book. In fact, very proud of my country that atheist judges get apppointed to public office at all (*waves at right wing America*).
(Heh: my word verification is randi: how very appropriate.)
Marie, I'm surprised you've not burst into a thousand small pieces with your own pride! If you want my book, it would be Anne of Green Gables. At the nub of it, it's all about honesty and being good to one another.
Well this:
"I have just come back from watching my father be sworn in as the first ever President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom."
...was one hell of a "wow" first line, although in the interests of truth I should probably confess that "Wow!" wasn't actually the exclamation I uttered upon reading it. (One across, 4, 2: request to have an act Anglo-Saxon in nature performed upon oneself).
Congratulations to your dad.
As to books...
I'm tempted to say the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, because if I then lied I'd feel like I was letting Douglas Adams down.
Or perhaps something written by Donald Watson, the founder of veganism, because veganism is the closest thing I have to a religion and thus he's probably the closest thing I have to a religious leader. I can't imagine the courage and integrity he and his companions needed to do what they did; 60 years on, people like me stand upon their shoulders and if I could be a tenth of the man he was, I figure I'd be doing pretty well.
Are you trying to make me cry, sis? I wish I'd been there. I think I might take my oath on a book of Andy Goldsworthy's photos, which are such an awe-inspiring testament to the impermanent beauties of the natural world and our ability to connect with them in profound and simple ways, if we only choose to do so.
May I swear in on a play? The Lady's Not For Burning by Christopher Fry has always been my favourite and contains a luminous speech by the lady who is facing burning, which includes:
What is deep, as love is deep, I'll have
Deeply. What is good, as love is good,
I'll have well. Then if time and space
Have any purpose, I shall belong to it.
I could swear an oath on that alone.
I'm delighted that you can take pleasure and pride in your father and his accomplishments. Not everyone can. You are indeed blessed.
How fantastic! You've every right to be bursting with pride.
I might swear an oath on the dictionary, or my atlas. I *heart* my atlas but it's a bit bulky to hike around.
Ms Mac, the dictionary and atlas are extremely cool choices. I'd be tempted by those. Before reading your comment, I was torn between The Razor's Edge, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and Dandelion Wine. All three address fundamental (secular) truths of human existence, that we are all connected, that life is a cycle of birth and death, and that we are each responsible for how we spend our time in between.
Malcolm Gladwell, he of the popular books "Blink" and "Tipping Point", had an essay in a recent New Yorker about To Kill a Mockingbird and Southern liberalism. Coming from an old Alabama family, I found it interesting but vexing reading (ie I disagreed with many of his points!). However, I do recommend checking it out:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/10/090810fa_fact_gladwell
Congratulations to your father, Marie! (Which I know means little coming from a random blog reader, but I can't help saying it.) I was moved by your description of elements of the ceremony, how future generations shall carry on these rituals and your father's legacy will live on through them. Way cool.
Interesting piece, B.E.M. Though I disagree with a lot of it too. Mainly I think Gladwell deliberately underplays the issue that Bob Ewell is guilty of being more than trash, he is guilty of habitually raping his daughter, which has a huge bearing on every aspect of the novel. At the end of Gladwell's piece, you'd think the only difference between Bob Ewell and Boo Radley is class. Also I particularly dislike any argument that a novel should be something it isn't, because I think novels should be judged on what they are. Gladwell may think Finch should have a different kind of politics within the civil rights context, but that would undermine the very important part of the storyline which is about a man' relationship with his daughter. Still, good article, and much to think about.
Congratulations on owning up to being a proud daughter.
Lovely description and appreciation of the ceremony and its legacy.
As a card-carrying atheist, I would swear on GREAT EXPECTATIONS for its theme of innocence and guilt and rehabilitation.
Marie, I was almost too 'filled up' to comment on this. You obviously are very proud of your father and love him very much. It was so touching to read. I am also proud of my own father (now deceased ) and try to tell his story on each special anniversary. But re a 'holy book' - as an atheist on jury service many years ago I chose to 'affirm' to try the accused to the best of my ability (I can't remember the exact wording)- no book involved. I would feel that to 'swear' on a piece of deliberate fiction (choosing my words carefully) like a novel, would be insulting and possibly blasphemous to a believer of any religion. I realise that you were being curious and lighthearted in this but I feel very strongly that we should be very proud of the principles of English law that still serve to protect the ordinary citizen from the increasing abuses on our freedoms attempted by cynical and powerful politicians in recent governments. (OK - I admit I am also a trained, though non-practising barrister.) However, if I had to choose a book to have in my pocket in court, it would be Hilary Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety. It would remind me how lucky we are in this country to have achieved the laws and rights without the terror.
Congratulations to your father, Marie - what a beautiful post. You've made me a bit misty too and I'm just another reader! I think I'd chose Howard's End - I love its message of tolerance and 'only connect'. Persephone, in a nice bit of synchronicity, I have been reading about Christopher Fry's translations this morning for work. I haven't read any of his plays but had decided to and then I saw your post.
Blimey: what a fabulous post. And you're rightly proud.
I'm in awe of the book choices so far (totally with you JH on Mockingbird). Could I swear on a particular edition of a book? I'll have my partner's lovely leather bound, gold leaf edged edition of Shelley's poems. Because it would make me think of the man I love and his insightful wit and wisdom which I hope would guide me in my judgements and honesty (plus the poetry is pretty darn fabulous)
What you said, Marie. Exactly! (Until reading your comment, by the way, I'd never considered the parallel and yet tragically opposite father/daughter pairs depicted in the Ewells and Finches. TKAM is like an onion, with endless layers to examine!)
What stood out to me was Gladwell's bizarre zeal to diminish Atticus's bravery and integrity. He bent himself into a pretzel trying to do so, and made an arse of himself. Still, I was glad to see the novel discussed in a contemporary current affairs magazine. Thank you for taking the time to read it.
To bring this comment thread back to your post, you are like a modern-day Scout, rightfully proud of your father as he makes legal history!
This is a wonderful post, Marie and many congrats to your Dad..You should feel proud and it's good to see you say so on the blog!
How distinguished your father looks. It was so moving to hear about his new posting and how exciting it is for you and your family. Certainly a very momentous occasion. Just imagining his name being there, something stories can be written of.
Racking my brain about what book, have only come up with the Kindergarten, by Rushford. For the life of me I can't figure out why... The only thing I can think of is that the story speaks of two dark eras in European history that your Supreme Court is given the task of preventing happening again.
Beautiful post.
Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl
I think if I wanted a holy book for atheists, I don't think I would go for fiction - it seems to miss the point of the bigger significance the book should I have. I would go for Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, not so much for the book itself as the subject.
Post a Comment