Today is U.S. Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Difficult to do when the FBI under Trump’s leadership is hard to have faith in.
And, we must still pause and recognize the men and
women who step into life and death uncertainty almost each day.
The question is, are they doing it to uphold the law,
or the rule of law. There is a difference. The Rule of law requires three fundamental
elements to be legitimate in human affairs.
First, is the law made by the will of the people. Second, is it enforced equally. Last, is the law protecting basic inalienable
rights (see Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
Their work is often dangerous, frequently
misunderstood, and always essential to the functioning of a free and civil
society.
But appreciation does not require blind praise. In
fact, the deepest form of respect we can offer those brave souls is to be
honest about what their role truly represents—and what it must never abandon.
At its best, law enforcement exists to protect life,
liberty, and basic human dignity. Those principles did not originate in the Declaration
of Independence. They came from “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”—a
moral framework older than any nation and higher than any single law. And they are not always enforced on the streets,
in statutes or in courtrooms.
And not all laws are equal in every city, state or
nation.
Some laws are administrative. Some are temporary. Some
are flawed. History offers sobering reminders that legality and morality do not
always align. From segregation to the internment of citizens or non-citizens,
unjust laws have always existed. And sometimes
even enforced—by otherwise well-intentioned people and institutions.
That reality places law enforcement officers in a
uniquely difficult position. They are sworn to uphold the law, yet they operate
within a moral ecosystem that demands discernment, restraint, and respect for
fundamental rights. The legitimacy of law enforcement depends not merely on
enforcement, but on just enforcement.
Justice is what gives law its authority.
When laws protect basic rights—life, liberty, due
process, equal treatment—they earn public trust. When enforcement is
proportional, transparent, and humane, communities cooperate rather than
resist. When officers see themselves not simply as enforcers, but as guardians
of civic order, the social fabric strengthens.
This is why training, accountability, and community
engagement are not criticisms of law enforcement; they are investments in it and
the civility of the community they serve. A system that supports officers in acting
ethically, safely, and wisely honors both the badge and the people it serves. When it inserts is power from outside the community
it needs to work closely with the powers within that community.
Law enforcement is not meant to be a blunt instrument
of power. It is meant to be a shield—especially for the vulnerable. It stands
between chaos and community, between fear and freedom. That is a heavy
responsibility deserving respect and a decent wage.
On this Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, we can hold
two truths at once:
We can honor those who serve with integrity and
courage. And we can recommend ourselves to the idea that laws must remain
rooted in justice, human dignity, enduring moral principles, and the Truths
that we should all hold to be self-evident.
When law enforcement aligns with those higher laws—of
nature, conscience, and shared humanity—it does more than keep the peace. It helps make a free society possible and sustainable. It all starts with virtue and the wisdom and
compassion to know what is right and what is wrong.
From what I saw on the visual coverage of the killing of a woman in a care by
an ICE agent was the abuse of power and/or the fear of the woman in the care
and the intent to kill by the man with the gun.
Three shots. Two nearly at point blank range while he was next to the
car, never really in front of it. Only
a drone video (or God) from above - will we know any time soon.
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