OPEN LETTER TO MY NORTHERN KENTUCKY FRIENDS:
I am writing to my friends in Northern Kentucky. Because I feel that I have lost some lately…and I don’t understand it.
I love Northern Kentucky. My grandparents ran a shoe repair store in Covington in the 1930s into the ’60s. They had 7 children who all cut their swath in Northern Kentucky as athletes, teachers, factory workers, and fathers and mothers.
One of my uncles was legendary. Uncle Jim (Briede) or “Champ.” He was only 5’5” but was a tremendous athlete at Newport Catholic. He was so talented that he received a football recruiting letter from Paul “Bear” Bryant” when the Bear was the coach at UK. Uncle Jim did not go on to play at UK but kept the letter he received taped to the wall in the family shoe repair shop he carried on in Fort Wright. Uncle Jim died in 1991. In 1992, my cousin and his daughter, Lesly Briede was brutally murdered in her home in Fort Wright. She was 26 and a beautiful girl. Despite her incredible grief, Lesly’s mother and Uncle Jim’s wife, Barbara Briede, single-handedly changed the law in Kentucky establishing the Briede Bill. . .meaning that Life without Parole really meant life without parole. This took years of tireless effort working with politicians who had their own agenda. There are no words that come to me that can adequately pay the respect I have for my Aunt Barbara.
I could go on about my family — the grandchildren have gone on to work in law enforcement, as teachers, professors in far=off universities, and be successful in big business.
For me, I stayed home in Northern Kentucky — which I love.
I went to Covington Catholic, NKU, and then to Chase and became a local lawyer. I have never worked for a law firm since I was licensed to practice law in 1991. I started my own solo practice right out of law school. Incredibly, I have survived, because of a few things.
Most importantly, I tell the truth. I tell the truth to my clients. I tell the truth to the prosecutors, to the judges, to the opposing attorneys. I knew that my credibility was my most valuable asset and if I ever lost that then I was done. Mislead or lie one time to a prosecutor, a judge, a client, or another lawyer — then how could they ever trust you. So I never once did that and I never will.
Which gets me back to the theme of this letter.
How could any of my friends possibly vote for Donald Trump? I have played golf my entire life. Many of my friends play in a fairly expensive game where hundreds of dollars change hands each round. No way they would ever let Trump play in this game — because he, without apology, cheats. Yet they vote for him to be President of our country??
Let’s make it easier?
Would any of you hire a lawyer that you knew lied all the time? A doctor? A contractor? A roofer?
Would you ever hire anyone who you knew for certain lied about important things? About anything?
But you want Trump as your President?
I certainly don’t get it and it breaks my heart.
Does watching Trump interrupt, lie, and disrespect Joe Biden on the debate stage change any of your opinions? If not…why not? Is character not the most important trait one can possess as leader of our county? Do you really believe Trump has one shred of character? How do you think the rest of the world sees us with Trump as our “leader”?
It’s so sad to me that I will lose friends over this letter. I’ve bitten my tongue more than a few times in order not to ruin a party or a gathering, thinking I won’t be able to change anyone’s mind so why argue? No longer. I am no longer willing to “Stand Back and Stand By.”
If I end up losing friends because of this letter, then so be it. I am not so naïve to think that this will change many opinions. But any Northern Kentuckians who read this and decide to speak up or decide to change their mind, please let me know and it will be worth it.
Paul Hill has been an attorney for 27 years and maintains that integrity and credibility are the most important attributes an attorney can possess. His office is in Fort Mitchell.