The Moral Test of Self Government

Equal justice requires one standard of accountability. A recent New York Times opinion essay about the death of Ruben Ray Martinez argued that his killing raises profound questions about Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the role the agency should play in our society. Reading it led me to ask a different question – not just about one tragedy, but about how we judge all government failures. If an ICE officer unlawfully takes a life, there should be a full investigation. If wrongdoing occurred, there should be accountability. Government officers entrusted with extraordinary authority must be held to the highest standard. That should never be controversial. Neither should this principle: Every preventable death resulting from government failure deserves the same moral seriousness. My da