The Great Lawbreaker

Law is an instrument of freedom, not mainly as a forum to resolve disputes but because it allows us to act freely, confident that law will defend reasonable conduct. -- Philip K. Howard

Once upon a time, there was a police officer named Barry. Barry always knew, better than any of the other officers, what was best for the public he served. Barry would drive around in his patrol car, arrest perps who were guilty, and leave others to go their way. He always knew which ones to arrest, which to let go, because those he let go were oppressed minorities. Only privileged perps would get hauled down to the station to get booked and charged with crimes. After all, Barry knew better than the lawmakers, the judges, and the people who gave him his job, who was guilty and who wasn't.

The Obama administration announced that it would stop deporting some young illegal immigrants. Why? Is it because the Obama administration is so benevolent, so compassionate, so caring, that it cares what happens to these children? Or perhaps, just maybe, the Obama administration would do anything, including ignoring the rule of law, in order to score political points during an election year.

In the past, the Obama administration has refused to defend the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act, because Obama and Eric Holder thought it was "unconstitutional." Eric Holder has refused to prosecute Black Panthers who intimidated voters. Eric Holder faces House contempt charges for blocking an investigation to the failed Fast and Furious program that supplied weapons to Mexican drug cartels. Janet Napolitano refused to deport 300,000 criminal illegal aliens and refuses de facto to enforce immigration laws at all.

Does this show a trend? Will the Obama administration continue to ignore the law in order to promote an ideologically-based agenda? Of course it does. This gives us another solid reason to vote Obama out of office this November. The Obama administration will neglect the rule of law to push its own political agenda.

But why must we pursue the rule of law? As the late, great F.A. Hayek stated, "under the Rule of Law the government is prevented from stultifying individual efforts by ad hoc action. Within the known rules of the game the individual is free to pursue his personal ends and desires."

With the rule of law, government is limited, and individuals can pursue happiness as each sees fit. Without the rule of law, individuals are squashed under government ideology in order to pursue the goals of those in power.