Safe With The System
Written By Stephen H.
Where would we be without the legal system? In a mess, that’s where. Confusion and chaos would rule the day. Everyone would be doing what he or she wanted to do without any regard for anyone else. We would be living in a society with the attitude of “anything goes.” No one would be safe.
By safe, I just don’t just mean safe from the risk of physical harm or criminal activity. People would also be able to do anything they wanted to do in all of business and day-to-day living causing any number of problems and disarray. You would never be safe or protected from someone being able to take advantage of you or not treating you fairly in any type of business or daily transaction. You would have no way to protect yourself and you would have no means of recourse if wronged. It would be “everyman for himself” or “survival of the fittest” or meanest. Without the legal system, anyone could participate in any type of activity they wanted to with no concern as to how the outcome might affect others. All manner of illegal activities, both criminal and civil, would increase. A person would be afraid to leave home everyday for fear of what might happen to him.
The legal system provides: 1). a set of rules or laws that must be followed by everyone; 2). for enforcement of those rules by law enforcement authorities and officers of the courts; and, 3). Punishment by the courts to those that do not follow the rules. Laws are established to insure that everyone will play by the same rules. No one receives special treatment; all are equal and entitled to the same things and must abide by the same laws. If someone breaks a law, that person must know that there are remedies for enforcement of that law and for punishment if law is not followed. Because we have a functioning legal system, no one has to worry when they get up each day about what might happen. You know you are protected under the legal system, and that if needed, you can turn to anyone in the system for help.
All of the sections of the legal system work together to keep everyone safe and give order to what would otherwise be an unruly existence. Each section supports the other. One section, without the others, will not work. You could have all the laws you wanted, and without some way to enforce them, the laws would not be followed. And if there were no laws, the law enforcement authorities would have nothing to base their work on. They would not be able to protect anyone from harm or to help after someone is wronged.
We are safe because the legal system works. The system is not perfect, but it does work. It can be argued that there are problems. Some people might think there are too many laws; others would have more laws established. Those who enforce the laws may have too much power or in some instances, not enough. As for punishment for breaking a law, if you are the person who has been wronged, you may think the punishment is too lenient, and the one receiving the punishment thinks it is too severe. Everyone will not be completely happy or satisfied with the legal system, but without it, life as we know it would not exist.
I do not want to imagine life without the law and order and protection of the legal system. Even with a legal system in place, there are still people who cause problems. Just imagine how those problems would increase if there was no system in place to deter illegal activities. Just the thought of not having any laws or any law enforcement authorities and courts, and of what would transpire, scares me. Even though I do not agree with every law, I do understand the need to have the laws and the need to enforce them. The legal system enables all of us to live together. Knowing the legal system is in place and working, lets all of us go about our daily lives feeling safe and secure. We are safe with the system.
