Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I went to St. Christopher’s, but I am a few years older than EHH. I didn’t know her, but I can shed some light on life among the rich in the wild west end. Although I was a poor kid from the sticks, a scholarship and some family benefactors helped me get into the school at the age of 12.
The first thing that most people find surprising is that rich kids have the exact same problems are poor kids. In some cases, their problems are compounded because they never learn how to earn independently or do for themselves.
Also, generational wealth isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There are patterns that sometimes emerge among these families. There is usually a patriarch who earns a fortune through hard work and wits. The next generation may or may not have the gumption to succeed like dear old dad. Sometimes the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, other times it rolls down a hill and winds up in a sewer.
There can be a lot of jockeying for position in matters of succession, along with tremendous insecurities at the possibility of being disinherited or otherwise made poor. The third generation sometimes features a shining star with grandpa’s drive to succeed, but it also frequently features “idiot grandsons” (or granddaughters) who didn’t inherit any of those qualities. They squander fortunes.
Each successive generation branches out, some able to accomplish their goals, others drowning in difficulties. Some of the worst behaved kids at any school are spoiled brats who are rich and lazy. But some of their parents, especially those with inherited wealth, are way out in left field, some are abusing substances, others making poor life choices repeatedly, and a few are mentally unwell.
No matter how rich or beautiful or talented, mental illness can strike anyone. Some families can put a bunch of resources into mental health care, lock a kid or parent away in a facility if necessary, and put them through whatever rehab they need. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. There are also kids that are emotionally ill, not crazy in any clinical sense, just resentful or mean or just kind of lost for no apparent reason. Theirs is sometimes a disease of the soul.
St. Christopher’s gave me a great education because I was around other kids who were smart and put in the work to earn what they wanted in a competitive environment. Steel sharpens steel. The great majority of my classmates did very well in life. I was fortunate enough to become a lawyer and blessed with a busy practice defending a lot of my classmates and their kids. I can share a few observations about my experience as a professional fixer getting rich people out of trouble in courts throughout Virginia.
First, St. Christophers and St. Catherine’s are not hotbeds of drug use as some have suggested. Every school has some kids who will experiment with or develop a habit using drugs. That’s everywhere. Second, the benefit of wealth turns into a liability when media attention is focused on your case. The masses want to see rich people squirm and suffer. Third, the benefit of a lawyer like me getting you off cannot fully accrue if you do it again. There are only so many rabbits that one can pull out of a single hat, no matter how large the retainer.
A lot of people are screaming for vengeance on this page, and that is easy to understand under the circumstances. You will be happy to know that the criminal justice system is a monstrous and cruel world of inhumanity and suffering. This woman is living in a hell that you cannot even begin to comprehend. In just a few minutes, everything was taken from her. She had so much to lose, and now it’s all burnt down to the ground. If you want schadenfreude, here is a buffet upon which you can gorge until you squeal with satisfaction – bon appetit.
Her children and their father are apparently the true victims of this alleged crime. They are undoubtedly mortified, and their suffering will never go away. If you know them, please pass along our best wishes for courage moving forward and let them know they are not alone. These poor children will have to live with all this for the rest of their lives. I only pray for their peace of mind and forgiveness in their hearts. May God bless, heal, and free their spirits to soar. - Amen
Amen