70 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
70 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
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May 1991
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DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
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By
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William S. Sessions
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FBI Director
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Law Day 1991
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Since 1958, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed
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May 1st as Law Day, Americans have commemorated this country's
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longstanding tradition of liberty, justice, and equality under
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the law. In 1991, however, Law Day takes on a special
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significance. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Bill
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of Rights.
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The framers of the U.S. Constitution added the Bill of
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Rights to ensure that the powers granted to the government did
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not conflict with individual liberties. They intended to
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establish a central government that had enough power to govern.
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But with the addition of the Bill of Rights, they tried to
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assure that this new government would not become tyrannical.
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The notion of carefully balancing the authority of the
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government with the rights of the people, although deeply rooted
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in the American consciousness, is not unique to America. Since
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the early days of civilization, when people began living
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together in villages and towns, man has sought rules to preserve
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order while protecting individual liberties.
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When American colonists drafted the U.S. Constitution and
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the Bill of Rights, the rule of law became a reality on a grand
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scale. These amendments provided a legacy of liberty and
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justice that serve as the basis of our democracy.
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America has come to be recognized around the world as a
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nation of people who are guaranteed the basic rights of life,
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liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. By balancing the
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authority of its government and the liberty of its citizens, our
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country serves as an inspiration to people everywhere struggling
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for their dignity and freedom.
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Where the authority of the government and the liberty of
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the individual interface is where law enforcement most often
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finds itself. As a matter of fact, most everyday law
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enforcement tasks--arrests, searches and seizures, investigative
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detentions, eyewitness identification, interrogation--are
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governed by the Bill of Rights. Maintaining the fragile balance
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between the power of the government and the rights of the
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citizens is a responsibility law enforcement should and does
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take very seriously.
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We have a unique and continuing opportunity to help
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preserve the most precious gift passed down to us from our
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founding fathers--the gift of freedom. For the sake of every
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American, we must welcome this opportunity. Maintaining this
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balance is not an easy task, but with constant vigilance, we can
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do our part to fulfill the dreams of those who wanted a "more
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perfect union" under which the power of the government cannot
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overwhelm the rights of its people.
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So, as we celebrate Law Day this year, let us remember not
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only the law as it is in 1991, but the law as it was envisioned
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200 years ago in the Bill of Rights.
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