Law and Order: Two Necessary Pillars for Sustainable Peace
“Peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, law, and order — in short, of government.” Albert Einstein.
I will begin with the understanding that when we talk about law, order, and the administration of Justice we are referring to an idea rather than a concept that has its philosophical roots since antique Greece and that evolved during modern times to a version based on the philosophy of natural law.
We can think of Justice as a natural promoter of peace. So, the question I asked is:
As citizens, how can we promote peace based on law and order as the minimum structure necessary to support it?
I will next share a personal, relative, and qualitative opinion on respect for law and order:
Having lived in Europe, the US, and two LATAM countries, I perceive a clear difference between the responses towards the need for supporting law and order. I judge the existing situation based on qualitative criteria, such as the degree of violence I have observed in the US and Europe on subjects like immigration, racism, domestic political issues, religious matters, discrimination of minorities, social inequalities, and gender violence.
With the probable exception of Mexico and Central America, where I have no experience, I would say that citizens in LATAM show genuine respect towards law and order. In the US and Europe, people seem to act in increasingly radical terms towards immigrants, politics, domestic violence, and minorities.
I do not mean to say that the problem does not exist in LATAM. One can take the violent events in Santiago de Chile in the fourth quarter of 2018, the hidden civil war experience in Peru or Colombia for decades, and the violence exerted by dictators in LATAM during the 20th century, but in the last two it is the government that has violated its constitution, their laws and human rights.
On the other hand, the degree of violence one can see nowadays in the US and Western Europe has all the ingredients of hate and lack of tolerance, which makes it harder to deal with for governments, especially within liberal democracies.
Violence against blacks and mass murderers in the US, domestic violence, and the resurgence of pro-fascism and pro-nazism in Europe are realities that need urgent response. Sexual offenses, discrimination against minorities, and radicalization of right and left politicians in the US and Western Europe are reaching an alarming rate of frequency and intensity.
We must stop and ask? Where is this hate coming from? How have we reached this level of passiveness toward the use of violence and immunity? Have we forgotten our morals and ethics?
As citizens, we should reflect on this problem and act accordingly. I have come to remind myself of the need to show:
Tolerance towards Others
With emphasis on their faith (or the lack of it), cultural traditions, and differences in values (when they respect human rights).
The Desire for an Unbiased Administration of Justice
One needs to avoid the administration of privileges based on class, sex, race, and religion.
We should accept that law and order cannot be administered as a political tool.
An Open Heart
When searching for tangible solutions to our societies’ most challenging problems
An Unconditional Defense for Liberal Democracy
The sole political structure ruled by law and order where the strength of its institutions aims to balance the thirst for power, the administration of Justice, and the drafting of law according to the Constitution.
