While it may seem impossible to encapsulate into one word the multidimensional maelstrom of horrors and crises which is the year 2020, “loss” comes as close as anything. The loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and loved ones to a criminally mismanaged pandemic. The loss of countless more to gun violence, police misconduct, and systemic racism. The loss of millions of jobs, livelihoods, and economic security. The loss of certainty and the rhythms and rituals of ordinary life, from children playing with their friends and laughing in school hallways to attending a wedding or watching a ball game.

The Rule Of Law Is Under Attack – And On The Ballot

All of these losses are staggering and would have been incomprehensible at the start of this Godforsaken year. But there are even more insidious and ongoing losses that predate the pandemic. These aren’t losses caused by biology or random chance. Rather, these are losses purposefully engineered by those who see the foundational principles of America, as well as the concept of objective reality, as impediments to their own craven designs, their shameless corruption, and the advancement of their personal interests at the expense of everyone else’s.

As a lawyer – as an American – I see the rule of law as sacrosanct and one of the last remaining bulwarks standing between the survival of the Republic and authoritarianism. But the past four years have seen an unrelenting and unprecedented war on the rule of law by those charged with faithfully executing those laws and those who have aided and abetted them in these efforts.

If past is prologue, and if cornered rats are the most dangerous kind, I fear that the next few months will see an even more voracious attack on the rule of law. That war is occurring in plain sight, from the sabotage of the postal service, to the incitement of violence for political gain, to a firehose of lies and misinformation spewing from the highest office in the land.

Attacking the rule of law and purposefully and relentlessly undermining public trust in the institutions that uphold the law in order to facilitate rampant lawbreaking is an unforgivable civic sin. That those engaging in such misconduct laughably do so under the banner of “law and order” makes it even more enraging.

Voting Is How We Maintain The Rule Of Law

The rule of law is how we hold leaders and lawbreakers accountable. It is what levels the playing field, at least in theory. It is the way we as a society facilitate change and address inequality and other social and economic injustices. And the way we do that is through the power of our votes. That is why so much effort is focused on depriving individuals of their right to vote, encouraging bad actors to corrupt the system, and sowing doubt about the legitimacy of an outcome that may not go as those currently in power would like – in a fair fight.

Voting determines everything. On life and death matters, it determines whether or not you can get health insurance if you have a preexisting condition or if you’ll have the resources to be able to pay your rent or mortgage. Even on less existential issues, who we elect matters. As a professional license defense attorney, I’ve seen how changes in leadership and laws impact the lives and livelihoods of thousands of licensed professionals and those they serve.

So, as early voting is set to begin here in Illinois and across the country, it is imperative that all of us enlist in the fight to preserve the rule of law by ensuring that we are registered and know our options as to how to cast our ballots. Illinois residents can register to vote or check your registration status here. You can request a vote by mail application here. Given ongoing efforts to interfere with your right to vote, casting your ballot sooner rather than later should be a priority, more so than in prior elections.

Shakespeare wrote one of the most misinterpreted lines in history: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” Rather than an attack on the legal profession, the quote from “Henry VI” was actually a strategic statement by someone out to destroy the rule of law. It was uttered by Dick the Butcher, who was a follower of the rebel Jack Cade and thought that if he disturbed law and order, he could become king.

We don’t do kings here. We are a democracy. We are a nation of laws – and voters.