Original Title was “Is Justice Being Assassinated in America.”

Dailybreeze.com

Will due process survive videos, social media?: Letters

The founders of our country established the principle that we are to be governed by laws and not by men. This comes under “all men are created equal.” All have the right to a fair trial.

The question before us in the 21st century is: Will due process survive the video camera, the smart phone and social media?

The videos of Officer Darren Wilson’s actions in Ferguson, Mo., have resulted in a call for action now — throw him in jail, for life, now. This same sort of thinking has followed release of the Ray Rice videos. Justice under these conditions is high-tech lynching.

Once an image or a writing “goes viral” in today’s digital world, must the meting out of justice go viral as well? Whatever we call it or whatever excuse we make for it, in the final analysis it is mob rule. We must never forget that no free nation can substitute mob rule for due process of law and survive for very long as a free nation.