The Law by Frederic Bastiat
After reading The Law, by Frederic Bastiat, a good amount of topics discussed are still prevalent in todays’ political climate. The chapters that stuck out the most in my opinion were: Life is a Gift From God, A Just and Enduring Government, and The Complete Perversion of the Law. Furthermore, after analyzing and reflecting on The Law, I agree with a large portion of the reading and Bastiat’s opinions.
First, life is a gift from god and it cannot be taken away by the law, political officials, or any organization. Growing up I was raised to be a devout christian. My mother and father taught me that my christian values were the most important thing in life. They also taught me that the government doesn’t have the power to take that away. In the Bible, God created Adam and Eve to be the first coherent living things on Earth. They were made to live life. There was no government, laws, or enforcement. Governments, constitutions, and political officials all came long after that. So above all else, God made us live life first.
Secondly, the government should be just and enduring no matter the political affiliation of the majority of the current law-making officials. The government oppressing its own people based on race, religion, political affiliation, or their views on a certain hot button topic is maddening. Because of my strong beliefs, I believe that a persons’ right to religion should not be oppressed. In June of 1962, Engel v. Vitale was the most discussed Supreme Court case around the nation. In New Hyde, New York a group of parents fought with the school board on their kids’ right to have prayer in class. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that having prayer in school violated the First Amendment's rule on state establishment of religion. In my opinion, this is a situation where the government abused its power and oppressed its people based on their religious beliefs.
Finally, there is also a topic discussed in The Law about complete and utter perversion of the government. There have been instances recently in America where these kinds of things have happened. The death of George Floyd is perhaps the most polarizing of these instances. On May 25, 2020 African American man, George Floyd, was arrested by the police under suspicion of using a counterfeit 20 dollar bill. Floyd was accidentally choked to death by one of the officers at the scene. People all around America saw this as a disgrace and believed that the officer was in complete violation of his rights.They demanded for the abolishment of all police. Media made all officers around the nation look like they were the same as this one officer. Most people blamed the government and called them unjust for allowing this disaster to happen.
In conclusion, I agree with the majority of the points made by Bastiat in The Law. The government should be helpful to its citizens and make their lives easier. It shouldn't make life harder. It needs to allow its people to live happily and in their own free will.
