Years ago, I attended a Bar Association event where the featured speaker was the Chief Prosecutor of the Iraqi tribunal that tried Saddam Hussein for war crimes. At the time, I was impressed by his emphasis on and appreciation for the Rule of Law – a concept he tied to the Code of Hammurabi, which dates back to 1750 BC and came from what we now know as Iraq.

A lot has transpired in the 11 years since I heard that speech, but I thought it appropriate to share some of what I wrote at the time:

Listening to the speakers that day, it slowly dawned on me just how much we, carefully ensconced in our well-established constitutional republic, truly do take for granted.  Freedom, jealously guarded by the Rule of Law, is all we’ve ever known. 

As I reflect on [their] comments this Memorial Day, they remind me just how very precious our freedom is. We have our fair share of worries — economic recession, upcoming elections, for instance — but we live lives blessedly free from fear of true tyranny.  Most of us are celebrating this holiday weekend with cookouts and ballgames and pool time with friends and family. How fortunate we are, and how thankful we should be that this amazing, wonderful, FREE nation of ours is kept safe by the sacrifices of those courageous men and women who’ve chosen to serve and to fight for it. God bless them. God bless the fallen. And God bless the USA.

This “Moore to the Point” commentary aired on NewsTalkSTL on Friday, May 26th. Audio included below.