TNT. GOSSKUL. SPIRIT OF JUSTICE. MOTIVE. TWO FORMER MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY, NOT CONNECTED TO ANY GROUP, NO PREVIOUS CRIMINAL RECORD, ACTING ALONE, ON A HOLY MISSION, OF TWO MEN WHO TOOK AN OATH? TO DEFEND AGAINST BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC ENEMIES? ONE A DECORATED MARINE. THE OTHER DISGRUNTLED BY THE WARS, NOT ONLY ABROAD, BUT, ON THE STREETS OF AMERICA! TOGETHER, ONE INSPIRED THE OTHER, TO RESTORE AMERICA AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM? HEROES OR VILLAINS? BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER! TOOK OUT 8 COPS BETWEEN THE TWO. DID THEY WANT TO EVEN THE SCORE? PUT THE HURT ON THE COPS? OR WHERE THEY WARRIORS AGAINST INJUSTICE? HOW LONG CAN WE WATCH UNARMED BLACK MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, BEING GUNNED DOWN, AND NOT DO SOMETHING TO STOP IT? DOWN BELOW, I HAVE COPIED AND PASTED, THE TENANTS OF THE "FOUR PILLARS OF THE LAW" AND PERHAPS WE START THERE: (1) THE LAW APPLIES TO EVERYONE; (2) THE LAWS ARE NOT SECRET OR ARBITRARY; (3) THE LAWS ARE ENFORCED FAIRLY; AND (4) THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS FAIR! ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS OF THESE COP ON CITIZEN KILLINGS, THAT MIGHT HELP: (1) NONE PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE; (2) EXTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATIONS; (3) COPS STOP GIVING UNABASHED SUPPORT AND PROTECTION TO ERRANT COPS, WHO CLEARLY VIOLATED THE LAW, RIGHTS, PROTECTIONS, DENYING DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION; AND (4) COPS ARE JUDGED ON WHAT A "REASONABLE" COP, OF SIMILAR YEARS ON THE FORCE, WITH SIMILAR FACTS, MIGHT HAVE DONE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION . . . WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT, BEING A POLICE OFFICER OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, IS A TOUGH JOB, DANGEROUS, WITH SPLIT SECOND DECISIONS AT TIMES, BUT RARE TIMES . . . SOME COPS, GOOD COPS, PUT IN 30 YEARS ON THE FORCE AND NEVER EVEN DRAW THEIR GUNS, YET OTHERS, KILL TWO CITIZENS, IN ONE YEAR? THE VERY FIRST THING, THE BATON ROUGE SHOOTER SAID, ON ONE OF HIS VIDEOS, IS THAT HE DID THIS IN "THE SPIRIT OF JUSTICE!" THINK LONG AND HARD ON THAT COMMENT, THIS MAN WAS A DECORATED MARINE, FOREVER FAITHFUL! PERHAPS HE WAS BEING FAITHFUL, TO THE BASIC TENANTS, PRINCIPLES, CONCEPTS, LIBERTIES, FREEDOMS, RIGHTS, PROTECTIONS AND PRIVILEGES, THAT THIS CLASS OF PEOPLE IN AMERICA, HAVE BEEN DENIED! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! TWO WRONGS CAN MAKE A WRITE, IF WE FIX A BROKEN, UNJUST, AND DEPRAVED SYSTEM, THAT FAVORS SOME AND DISFAVORS OTHER, ALLOWS, COPS TO OPERATE OUTSIDE THE LAW, AND BECOME "JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONERS" ON THE STREETS, WITHOUT PROVIDING MANDATORY, DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAW TO ALL CITIZENS, NOT JUST THE FEW THEY LIKE! LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL . . . SOME DAY, WE ACTUALLY MAY THANK THE TWO SHOOTERS, IN BOTH DALLAS AND BATON ROUGE, FOR MAKING IT REAL, WHERE, IT HURTS ALL OF US, FORCING US THROUGH THEIR WILL, TO DEAL, HERE AND NOW, WITH THIS STAIN ON OUR AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEM! GOD BLESS AMERICA! I FOR ONE, AM GRATEFUL, NOT THAT THE COPS DIED, BUT, BECAUSE, WE NEED TO REVAMP THE SYSTEM, BEFORE THERE IS MORE BLOODSHED IN THE STREETS . . . WE ARE ALL TO BE ON THE SAME SIDE, THAT OF JUSTICE FOR ALL!

The Four Pillars of the Rule of Law

WrittenThe Law Dictionary and Fact Checked by The Law Dictionary Staff  

The Four Pillars of the Rule of Law

The concept of the rule of law goes back to ancient times and it can essentially be summed up by the well-known phrase, "nobody is above the law." In other words, in a governing system based on the rule of law, everybody is held equally accountable under the same laws. In contrast, a system that is based upon the rule of men, such as a tyranny, monarchy, theocracy, or oligarchy, occurs when governance, laws, and the administration of justice are determined by the interests of a single person or group of people. While rule of law is a fundamental principal in many countries today, the World Justice Project points out that effective rule of law itself depends on the upholding of the following four principles. 

• The law applies to everyone

Perhaps one of the defining features of the rule of law is that, under such a system, the law is applied equally to all citizens, including the lawmakers themselves. Rule of law simply means that the law itself, rather than individuals or organizations, reigns supreme. Therefore, even people who enforce and administer the law, such as police officers, judges, and lawyers, are still subject to the same laws as everybody else is. 

• The laws are not secret or arbitrary

For a rule of law system to function, the laws themselves must be public, fair, stable, and understandable. If the laws change too frequently or arbitrarily, or the laws themselves are not publicized, then citizens have little hope of being able to abide by those laws. Furthermore, the laws must not violate fundamental human rights, which would again make them unfair to citizens. 

• The laws are enforced fairly

It's one thing for the laws to be written fairly, but if they are enforced in such a way that is either arbitrary or unfair then the rule of law begins to break down. For example, if a jurisdiction passes laws against drug use, but then only enforces those laws against a particular ethnic minority or social group, then the laws are not being enforced fairly. Citizens living under a rule of law system have a right to know that the laws are being administered and enforced in a way that is fair and accessible.

• The justice system is fair

Not only must laws be enforced in a fair and non-arbitrary manner, but so too must justice be delivered in a way that is fair, accessible, and efficient. In other words, the judicial system must stand independent of outside interference, such as by politicians or law enforcement agencies. Instead, the justice system must function to administer the law in such a way that citizens can expect to be treated fairly, regardless of their race, gender, beliefs, or economic status.

The rule of law is foundational to many functioning governments around the world. By limiting the arbitrary exercise of power by a single person or group, the rule of law helps establish a system whereby the fundamental rights and dignity of individuals and groups within a country are respected. While the rule of law is rarely perfectly applied, it is an ideal towards which many countries continue to strive.

Law Dictionary: The Four Pillars of the Rule of Law