TAMPA, Fla. —When it comes to standing up for those who cannot always speak for themselves, Catherine Bernard, a delegate to the 2012 Republican National Convention from Georgia, sees hope for a better future through criminal justice and political reform.
Bernard is a public defender from Dublin, a small town in middle Georgia, and represents the state’s 12th District at the 2012 Republican National Convention. Her passion for the political and social issues facing America is apparent upon first meeting her. She hopes to bring change throughout the criminal justice system through her work helping the less fortunate, those who might not otherwise have a chance to turn their lives around. It is the times when she is able to help turn someone’s life around that she feels most rewarded by her career.
“When I can do something great for a really deserving person, like a young man with some marijuana or cocaine charges who is facing a bunch of prison time, when we can suppress some of the evidence in his case with legal arguments and get him probation instead of prison,” she said, “that’s a life changing thing.”
She said she feels these kinds of moments lend themselves to her credibility in dealing with criminal justice reform, allowing her the ability to speak out about them through her political activism.
“I really enjoy having what I feel is a good perspective to share with people,” Bernard said.
As the election season kicks into full gear, the issues closest to her heart play a big role in how she campaigns and which candidate she supports. A fervent believer in Republican candidate Ron Paul’s message, she rallied behind the candidate throughout his campaign and even into the convention ceremonies. Bernard recalls how she was once a member of the Democratic Party, before switching parties when she began her law career.
“I had always had a negative impression of the Republicans,” she said, “and then I became a public defender and I just saw that government was not operating as a positive influence on the lives of these poor people.”
Situations like the country’s war on drugs fuel her desire to see criminal justice reform, citing instances where SWAT teams have raided the wrong houses or have gone after the wrong individuals as proof the system is not working as it should. Because of these things, Bernard said she believes it affects more than just the people who use drugs, as police have become more militarized.
“We have a real militarization of law enforcement in this country, which a lot of that comes from the federal level,” she said. “They’re giving tanks, they’re giving guns, flash grenades and all sorts of fun toys to these local drug task forces, and that contributes to the attitude these law enforcement officers have, that they’re no longer peace officers. They’re no longer Andy Griffith trying to keep the town safe; they are soldiers at war.”
She said that while most people see criminal justice problems as a side issue, she believes it is a main part of how America operates, citing the rising prison population as proof.
“It can’t be a side issue when you’ve got over a million people, who haven’t done anything wrong, who are rotting in prison or jail,” she said.
Throughout the convention, Bernard has kept with her beliefs, maintaining her convictions even though some may have disagreed with her. During a brunch with the Georgia delegation, she voiced her support for Ron Paul due to her district’s wishes, keeping with the wants of the people she was chosen to represent, despite being in the minority. Reactions to her stance have been mixed, but a lot of people thanked her for standing up for her beliefs, even if they did not agree with her.
“Some of them specifically said ‘I disagree with what you say with your support for Ron Paul, but I really appreciate you standing up to their attempt to forcefully unify the delegation,’ so there’s been some positive stuff,” she said.
She has also seen some negative reaction to her support for Ron Paul from people she feels refuse to see someone else’s point of view. She recalled the first night of the convention, with people heckling her on the bus with the rest of the Georgia delegation, something she views as immature and negative to the political process.
“I’m still wearing my Ron Paul sticker, and somebody says ‘Ron Paul is crazy’ when I got on the bus,” she said. “I’m like, first of all that’s fairly immature, and second of all these are not people who are interested in a constructive dialogue; they’re ‘my way or the highway.’”
Bernard has taken her skills in helping others to the community service level as well, volunteering at homeless shelters and for organizations that help these people find employment, as well as mentoring and helping with charter schools.
“I’ve been trying to do as much volunteer work as I can, to take me out of my comfort zone,” she said. “You know everyone loves going to the humane society and getting to play with the cute dogs at the pound, but I think it’s also important to interact with people who have lived a very different lifestyle than you have. It makes you less judgmental.”
Throughout the week Bernard has had at least one guaranteed supporter in her corner in Daniel Burton, her alternate delegate who shares the same convictions as she does and also supports Ron Paul. He first met Bernard at their District 12 convention and has enjoyed working alongside her since.
“It’s been great, for two reasons: She’s got a great personality and she’s very non-obtrusive when it comes to pushing your values. She politely explains why she feels the way she does, and it’s always with an ear to listen to other people’s values as well,” he said.
When it comes to her future, Bernard looks forward to continuing her career in law, possibly going into criminal defense. A career in politics has been brought up as a possibility as well, something she might one day be open to pursuing.
“I certainly haven’t ruled that out. There are a lot of problems in this country and a lot of us need to be rolling up our sleeves and seeing what we can do to make it better,” she said. “As cheesy as it sounds, I’d like to do whatever I can to make the world a better place.”
Originally published Aug. 30, 2012 on kennesawcommunication.com and reprinted with permission.
