No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we require him to obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor.
President Theodore Roosevelt
Like any nation, we are a nation that calls upon the government to - in the words of the Democratic Creed - “protect our nation, defend our democracy, and to endlessly promote the welfare of each and every one of us.” That is the purpose of the government. That is our nation’s purpose.
In Teddy Roosevelt’s words, “no man is above the law.” The law, created and applied by the government, protects us and all of the rights that are naturally ours.
But Roosevelt went further, saying “and no man is below it.” The law must protect us, not oppress us. Justice requires more than the fair application of laws; it requires that the laws themselves be just. They must protect our freedoms and promote the welfare of each and every one of us.
There is one thing more, however. What is “the government”? More correctly, WHO is “the government”? The answer, of course, is in our democratic beliefs. The government is us - We, the people.
We, the people, are the source of government's authority. We entrust that authority to those we elect, and we hold them responsible for using it to fulfill government's purpose. Protecting our nation, defending our democracy, and promoting our welfare, as a people and as our own government.
This week, American voters chose a new Congress and, in many states, a new Legislature and a new Governor. In coming months, all of these newly-elected representatives, chosen from among our own neighbors, will be responsible for the law, whether they create something new or let stand something that preceded them. That is the responsibility we have entrusted to them.
Our purpose, as a people, as a government, as a nation, is to protect our nation, defend our democracy, and to endlessly promote the welfare of each and every one of us. That's our Democratic Creed. Let's make sure it is theirs as well.
