Twain - Perspective on law

Hey Folks,

I’ve been re-reading Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court and sharing pieces of Twain’s political commentary with you here (this is the 17th entry) .

His insights remain pertinent to this day. We haven’t changed much from Twain’s day – or from King Arthur’s, for that matter.

- Uke Man

Chapter 34 – The King (the font and creator of the country’s laws) and the Yankee (both still disguised as peasants) are sold into slavery.

A dozen of the rascal’s servants sprang forward, and in a moment we were helpless, with our hands bound behind us. We so loudly and so earnestly proclaimed ourselves freemen, that we got the interested attention of that liberty-mouthing orator and his patriotic crowd, and they gathered about us and assumed a very determined attitude. The orator said:

“If indeed ye are freemen, ye have naught to fear – the God-given liberties of Britain are about ye for your shield and shelter! [Applause.] Ye shall soon see. Bring forth your proofs.”

“What proofs?”

“Proofs that ye are freemen.”

Ah – I remembered! I came to myself: I said nothing. But the king stormed out:

“Thou’rt insane, man. It were better, and more in reason, that this thief and scoundrel here prove that we are not freemen.”

You see. He knew his own laws just as other people so often know the laws: by words, not by effects. They take a meaning, and get very vivid, when you come to apply them to yourself.