Different Set of Circumstances

To the editor:

The recent letter (“Snow Balls in 1770”) equating the illegal obstruction of federal law enforcement officers with the colonial-era clashes between British troops and Boston civilians reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of both history and the rule of law.

As a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, and as a descendant of men who fought for independence from the Crown, I take particular care in how our nation’s founding events are invoked. The American Revolution arose from resistance to an unaccountable monarchy—King George III and a Parliament in which the colonies had no representation— imposing laws without consent and enforcing them through military occupation. Colonists had no lawful means to change those conditions.

That is not the circumstance in which we live today.

In the United States, laws are enacted by representatives elected by the people, reviewed by an independent judiciary, and enforced by officers sworn to uphold the Constitution. Immigration and border laws—whether one agrees with every provision or not—are the product of that constitutional process. Interfering with duly authorized law enforcement officers as they carry out their lawful duties is not an act of principled resistance; it is a direct violation of the rule of law.

My ancestors did not fight so that Americans could pick and choose which laws to obey or which officers to recognize as legitimate. They fought to establish a system of self-government grounded in law, accountability, and ordered liberty. To invoke their sacrifice in defense of unlawful obstruction is to misappropriate history for a modern political argument.

If citizens believe our laws are unjust, the remedy is clear and constitutional: persuade fellow voters, elect new representatives, and change the law. Blocking officers, harassing them, or preventing them from executing their lawful responsibilities undermines the very system of governance that the Revolution made possible.

Honoring our founding means defending the rule of law—not excusing its violation. Cade Burks Fayetteville, City Council, Place II