THE RULE OF LAW

Before America was born, men and women were ruled by kings who claimed divine right to rule, kings who changed laws to suit their personal whim. This was considered intolerable by our founding fathers who dreamed of a nation established on the rule of duly enacted laws ... not edicts of arrogant tyrants.

Humanity lived under iron rule of one form of king or another for thousands of years until that fateful day in Philadelphia, when wise, courageous leaders gathered on the Fourth of July 1776 to institute a new form of government whereby people would rule themselves under law.
This is what is known as the Rule of Law, i.e., justice administered according to written laws instead of the ever-changing desire of private interest.

The dream of America is a land of liberty and justice for all. No longer will kings and tyrants rule us. We will rule ourselves, according to the Rule of Law.

The Rule of Law lives in the hearts of free people everywhere. We know deep inside that each of us is entitled to be treated equally by government, that no men or set of men should be given special favors or powers to rule us beyond the limits of our written law. The Rule of Law asserts that men should not be trusted to govern others unless their rule is just, tempered by fixed laws that prevent tyranny, laws that stop individuals from accumulating wealth by force, laws that keep those in high office from exercising power without restraint, laws that deny majority power to act without due regard for the rights of individuals who are a minority, laws that prevent the powerful from plundering the weak.

The Rule of Law decrees that Law shall govern us according to the will of the People and not by the will of ambitious men and women in high places.

The Rule of Law is what our heroes died for in past wars for liberty.

The Rule of Law is worthy of our highest aspirations and dedicated efforts as a united people.

This principle that laws should govern instead of men -- laws of our making and not the cruel edicts of tyrant dictators or divine right decrees of kings -- is the bedrock of human justice, the philosophical cornerstone of these United States, and the foundation of hope for all mankind.