Rule of Law (n) a fundamental distinction of a people governed by limits; constitutionalism; ideally an ordered society conformed to laws derived from the people.
Plato said, “Mankind must have laws, and conform to them, or their life would be bad as that of the most savage beast.”
With the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, the British royalty could no longer rule arbitrarily. “...The law of the land” became sovereign. With it, a fundamental concept took root, ultimately flowering in the United States. Essential to our make-up, an underlying theme to our whole system of justice, is the fact that “we are a nation of law, not men.” Our government today cannot rule unconstrained. Rather, because of the rule of law, our inalienable rights are guarded by constitutional and statutory fences. John Locke wrote, “Wherever law ends, tyranny begins.” Indeed, with great power comes great responsibility. Is this our gift or our curse? The results found in history of those choosing anything but law have proven to be at best societies with short life spans and worse societies characterized by barbarism. Choose wisely, are we to be a nation of law or of men?Theban HeraldNo worse foe then the despot hath a state,
Under whom, first can be no common laws,
But one rules, keeping in his private hands
The law: so is equality no more.
But where the law one written, then the weak,
And wealthy have alike but equal right.
Yea, even the weaker may fling back the scoff
Against the prosperous, if he be reviled;
And armed with right, the less o’ercomes the great.
“To destroy a people, you must first destroy their roots.” Alexander Solzhensitsyn
