ginger
coons
cv
exhaustive list of traits, skills and interests
life story
law school letters
areas of interest
school things
cv
exhaustive list of traits, skills and interests
life story
law school letters
areas of interest
school things
The following are drafts of the letter of intent that
ginger coons was writing as part of the admission procedure for law
school. Since writing these, she has come to the decision that there
are better paths for her than law.
Life Story
I Want to Impress You
Titles
Which One Doesn't Belong?
Epiphany
Life Story
I Want to Impress You
Titles
Which One Doesn't Belong?
Epiphany
Titles
I'm going to tell you a little about myself. Or, more accurately, I'm going to give you some titles that might say something about me. I am a designer. I worry, slightly, every time I call myself that. I worry that it sounds self important. However, I'm not far from having a BFA in Design, and I do practice as a designer. Sometimes, I even get paid for my work. I am a vegan, because I worry about the environment, animal rights, and my own health. I am an activist, and have been for as long as I've been truly human. I care about civil liberties, human rights, good governance, and the future of creativity. I care about cities and public transit and education. I care about mobile phones, music, the internet, and alternate licensing. I care about food safety and the common store of knowledge and resources that we should have, but don't. I care about open source. I am a researcher. I am a writer. I am a convincer and an attention grabber. I am a learner. I am passionate, and at times, inspiring. I have the capacity to inspire the extreme confidence of others. I am not a lawyer, nor do I intend to be. I hope, one day (give me seven years, and your confidence), to be able to call myself a law professor. I want the opportunity to pursue a profession that allows me to continue learning, to be an activist, and to have the opportunity to inspire others. If you'll do me the courtesy of reading further, I'll explain why I'm worth your while.
“[A]ny concept of personal identity requires a well defined notion of how one relates to others: what one's obligations are to other people, and what one expects of them.” -Richard Florida
My existence as a considerate person and my existence as an activist are not separate. I do not believe that I can be a proper human being without caring about things. And I cannot care properly without at least trying to take some kind of action. My main purpose in life is to improve both myself and the world around me. I can effect these types of betterment only by being profoundly human, and interacting in positive ways with those who surround me, both directly and indirectly. As a human being, I exist to improve the lives of others. I feel that in return for the privilege of taking up space, breathing, using water, and consuming, it is my obligation to do some good. I am not especially entitled to anything, just by virtue of being alive. I have the extraordinary good luck of living in a country that at least pays lip service to the rights of its people. I feel that it is my duty to attempt to improve this state of affairs, and not just to maintain the status quo.
“[W]e remain unfree and chained to technology, whether we passionately affirm or deny it.” -Martin Heidegger
I am willing to both passionately affirm that we, as a society and as individuals, are chained to technology, and to be passionately affirmative about technology. We know that our lives are governed by our technology. By connection, we are governed by the people who produce that technology. We would do well to remember that more often than not, the technology that we use is not produced for altruistic reasons. The people who so effortlessly govern our lives do not have our best interests in mind. We have not elected them to the posts they hold, and they have obligations only to their shareholders. This is evidenced time and again, when consumers are endangered, or have their legal rights taken away by corporations. The most galling thing of all is that these entities, who do not have the best interests of the people at heart, are more able to command the attention of the government. That's our government, the one meant to represent and act in the best interests of the electorate. That can't be right.
I'm going to tell you a little about myself. Or, more accurately, I'm going to give you some titles that might say something about me. I am a designer. I worry, slightly, every time I call myself that. I worry that it sounds self important. However, I'm not far from having a BFA in Design, and I do practice as a designer. Sometimes, I even get paid for my work. I am a vegan, because I worry about the environment, animal rights, and my own health. I am an activist, and have been for as long as I've been truly human. I care about civil liberties, human rights, good governance, and the future of creativity. I care about cities and public transit and education. I care about mobile phones, music, the internet, and alternate licensing. I care about food safety and the common store of knowledge and resources that we should have, but don't. I care about open source. I am a researcher. I am a writer. I am a convincer and an attention grabber. I am a learner. I am passionate, and at times, inspiring. I have the capacity to inspire the extreme confidence of others. I am not a lawyer, nor do I intend to be. I hope, one day (give me seven years, and your confidence), to be able to call myself a law professor. I want the opportunity to pursue a profession that allows me to continue learning, to be an activist, and to have the opportunity to inspire others. If you'll do me the courtesy of reading further, I'll explain why I'm worth your while.
“[A]ny concept of personal identity requires a well defined notion of how one relates to others: what one's obligations are to other people, and what one expects of them.” -Richard Florida
My existence as a considerate person and my existence as an activist are not separate. I do not believe that I can be a proper human being without caring about things. And I cannot care properly without at least trying to take some kind of action. My main purpose in life is to improve both myself and the world around me. I can effect these types of betterment only by being profoundly human, and interacting in positive ways with those who surround me, both directly and indirectly. As a human being, I exist to improve the lives of others. I feel that in return for the privilege of taking up space, breathing, using water, and consuming, it is my obligation to do some good. I am not especially entitled to anything, just by virtue of being alive. I have the extraordinary good luck of living in a country that at least pays lip service to the rights of its people. I feel that it is my duty to attempt to improve this state of affairs, and not just to maintain the status quo.
“[W]e remain unfree and chained to technology, whether we passionately affirm or deny it.” -Martin Heidegger
I am willing to both passionately affirm that we, as a society and as individuals, are chained to technology, and to be passionately affirmative about technology. We know that our lives are governed by our technology. By connection, we are governed by the people who produce that technology. We would do well to remember that more often than not, the technology that we use is not produced for altruistic reasons. The people who so effortlessly govern our lives do not have our best interests in mind. We have not elected them to the posts they hold, and they have obligations only to their shareholders. This is evidenced time and again, when consumers are endangered, or have their legal rights taken away by corporations. The most galling thing of all is that these entities, who do not have the best interests of the people at heart, are more able to command the attention of the government. That's our government, the one meant to represent and act in the best interests of the electorate. That can't be right.