Our legal system has devolved into little more than a lottery where the ability of a lawyer to invoke tears of irrational fear from a jury is rewarded with unimaginable sums. Truth plays only a bit part in the proceedings. Common sense plays none. Because of the astronomical costs associated with the legal system, it has become a sanctioned form of extortion, in which the defense costs against lies are so high that to win is to lose, so people are forced to settle “out of court.” Innocent people bear the cost of this use of irrational fear in nearly everything we buy.
Our culture has come to condemn those who produce as heartless. Our society excuses those who steal as entitled, and those who kill as victims.
Knowing well the evils of tyranny, the Framers of the U.S. Constitution divided power among three branches of government-executive, legislative, and judicial-yet three fourths of all our laws are now made by federal agencies. Unelected career bureaucrats write these laws (as regulations), institute them, enforce them, sit in judgement of their violation, and hand down punishment of fines and imprisonment. When a court of law rules against these judgements, the agencies simply declare themselves in “non-compliance” and continue to do as they wish. They cannot be held to account.
Today in America, far more people try hard-core illegal drugs than read books for enjoyment. We have come to tolerate drug use, like so much else, with hand-wringing compassion and understanding.
We have raised a generation of feral children and in so doing have abdicated our society’s link to civilization. Gangs now have control of many parts of our cities and towns and rule them as feudal empires. While largely uneducated, these people are far from stupid; they manipulate nearly every institution to their purpose. They have beaten us at our own game.
Francis Lewis, John Hart, and Abraham Clark that I spoke of? They were signers of the Declaration of Independence. How do you think they would view our debauchery? Would they have made the sacrifices they did to gain us our freedom if they knew we would value it so trivially?
It is for the spirits of brave people like Francis Lewis, John Hart, and Abraham Clark that I write.
Readers are rare people. I feel a special connection with them. I try always to do my best for them; I try to write the truth. Fantasy allows me this. The Sword of Truth is a cry of defiance into the descending storm of tyranny. It is a cry for this very special group of people-people able to understand: readers.
My study of history has taught me that no civilization can endure the kind of self-indulgent destruction of social fabric and family structure we are witnessing.
Sooner or later an enemy will come, as they always do, and they will be ruthless. They will hold a blade to our throats. They will pillage and murder and rape us because we have failed to value the hard won gift of freedom and to honor our responsibility to preserve the flame of its true meaning.
As Richard says, anarchy wears the robes of tolerance and understanding.
And you still think I write fantasy?
The barbarians are at the gate, my friends, and they are us.
Mr. Goodkind really understands the world, I think…. one reason why his story is so great is because it is true…