America is a nation built on ideas, but when our often wildly different views turn to violence, as it has in recent days in Minneapolis, we must step back from the cycle of escalation and choose a new path toward flourishing.
To be fair, “flourishing” is hardly the word that comes to mind in today’s headlines. Multiple Americans are now dead as local leaders encourage Left-wing protestors to actively interfere with the work of federal law enforcement, and as federal law enforcement actively engages in aggressive operations to round up and deport illegal immigrants.
As the saying goes, both can be true at the same time. It is true that civilians should not actively interfere in law enforcement operations. Also, law enforcement operations must be conducted in a manner consistent with accountability and transparency while fostering public trust.
The question, then, is not about justifying outrage. The question is how a free and pluralistic society prevents political disagreement from devolving into open conflict. History offers a clear answer: flourishing societies are anchored by the Rule of Law.
The Rule of Law is often misunderstood as a cold or inflexible concept. In reality, it is the opposite. It is the framework that allows diverse people to live together peacefully despite deep disagreements. It ensures that power is constrained, that disputes are resolved through institutions rather than force and that accountability is applied consistently ― regardless of ideology, status or political alignment.
When violence becomes normalized, whether in the streets or through unchecked state action, the Rule of Law begins to erode. That erosion is rarely sudden. It happens incrementally, justified by urgency, fear or moral certainty. But once it accelerates, it is difficult to reverse.
In 49 BC, Julius Caesar famously crossed the river Rubicon as a deliberate action to impose his own will in violation of the law. America has likewise taken a step into the Rubicon. Responding to violence with violence ― excusing it when committed by one’s own side, condemning it only when politically inconvenient ― is precisely such a step. Once taken, it forecloses the possibility of stable self-government.
Flourishing depends on community. Community depends on shared understanding. And shared understanding requires a level playing field governed by clear, consistently applied rules. The Rule of Law provides the foundation for flourishing societies. Without it, every conflict becomes existential, and every action becomes illegitimate to half the population.
Minnesota’s political leadership has a particular responsibility in this moment. For several weeks, Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey used rhetoric that encouraged confrontation rather than de-escalation. At the same time, both face allegations of significant fraud and mismanagement within state and local programs, creating a perception of hypocrisy.
The issue is not partisan hypocrisy for its own sake. It is credibility. Leaders cannot selectively champion the Rule of Law. When officials appear to excuse lawbreaking in some contexts while demanding strict compliance in others, public trust deteriorates. That deterioration fuels cynicism, resistance and ultimately instability.
A lawful path forward is neither mysterious nor radical. It requires independent, transparent investigations into the use of deadly force. It requires clear boundaries for protest that protect free expression while rejecting intimidation and obstruction. It requires restraint from public officials whose words can either calm or inflame already tense situations. And it requires the humility to allow institutions ― courts, inspectors general and juries ― to do their work.
America’s strength has never come from unanimity. It has come from our ability to channel disagreement through peaceful means. If we abandon that standard, we should not be surprised when flourishing slips further out of reach.
The Rule of Law is not an abstraction. It is the guardrail that keeps disagreement from becoming destruction ― and it remains our best path forward to a safe, free, prosperous future.
Originally published in The Detroit News