Editor:

I attended the “Hands Off” rally in Statesboro on Saturday April 5 -- one of hundreds across the country.

Individuals and families were there -- most carrying signs. These rallies were an opportunity to show up and push back against an extreme Trump agenda that threatens important aspects of American life, our democracy, and our leadership in the world.

Many concerns reflected on the signs have been in the news – “hands off” Social Security, Medicaid, the courts, women’s rights, fair elections, veteran services, our allies, and more.

An uncommon one caught my eye: Hands Off Due Process.

I immediately thought about recent stories concerning immigrants and deportations, and whether due process and the rule of law were followed. I’ve come to personalize those stories, wondering if I or a family member were subject to government action where questions arose about how faithfully due process and the law were applied.

I thought it was a subject deserving our attention. Then, on Sunday, April 6, a piece by David French appeared in the New York Times titled “Don’t roll your eyes at due process.”

French, an evangelical conservative, former senior writer at the National Review, and once an Army JAG officer, said that history tells us that we are not inclined to protect the rights of our opponents or those we believe are violent and dangerous.

Yet, he contends no American right requires an underlying moral commitment to justice more than the right to due process because each of us is made in the image of God with inalienable rights. He concludes that the Constitution notes due process twice in the Fifth and 14th Amendments, and that it applies not only to “citizens” but to “persons”.

I’m grateful to Mr. French for elevating the right of due process to its place of importance for us all, especially the most vulnerable. I hope our political leaders will do the same.

Tony Monopoli,

Guyton