Law and Order

Law and Order reflects the complexity of the law, the broad range of subject matter that it covers, the many individuals affected by the questions raised within its purview, the individual and societal ramifications of such interactions, and the way in which language is used to sort out all those complications.  There are no easy answers, but to recognize the complexity and paradoxical nature of the institution we call the law is crucial to operating successfully within it.  Understanding the competing rhetoric used by those engaged in the legal process can help guide our decision-making, whether it is in deciding who to elect to create laws in our best interest or in determining our own courses of action in promoting causes we believe in, causes which most likely will involve legal issues and actions somewhere along the process.