But there are men for whom the unattainable has a special attraction. Usually they are not experts: their ambitions and fantasies are strong enough t… - Jon Krakauer

Happiness [is] only real when shared

"The courtroom oath — "to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" — is applicable only to witnesses. Defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges don't take this oath — they couldn't! Indeed, it is fair to say the American justice system is built on the foundation of not telling the whole truth. It is the job of the defense attorney — especially when representing the guilty — to prevent, by all lawful means, the "whole truth" from coming out."

The U.S. legal system is organized as an adversarial contest: in civil cases, between two citizens; in criminal cases, between a citizen and the state. Physical violence and intimidation are not allowed in court, whereas aggressive argument, selective presentation of the facts, and psychological attack are permitted, with the presumption that this ritualized, hostile encounter offers the best method of arriving at the truth. Constitutional limits on this kind of conflict are designed to protect criminal defendants from the superior power of the state, but not to protect individual citizens from one another….All citizens are presumed to enter the legal arena on an equal footing, regardless of the real advantages that one of the parties may enjoy. The Constitution, therefore, offers strong guarantees for the rights of the accused, but no corresponding protection for the rights of crime victims. As a result, victims who choose to seek justice may face serious obstacles and risks to their health, safety, and mental health.