By Dan Gartzke
As a member of my local town board in rural Wisconsin, I’ve seen firsthand how decisions get made—and what it means when they don’t go your way.
Recently, our board voted on a local issue that drew strong opinions from across the community. After discussion and public input, the measure passed on a narrow vote.
I disagreed with the outcome. But I had a voice in the process, and so did others in the community.
That experience reflects something fundamental about the rule of law. We don’t always get the result we want. But we have the opportunity to participate and be heard.
There’s a saying in the Lafayette County Courthouse in Darlington, written large about the judicial bench in the courtroom, that the liberty of a people consists in being governed by law which they have made themselves. What a concise and accurate distillation of our American dream – to be in control of our own fates.
That idea is at the heart of Law Day, observed May 1. Established in 1958, Law Day recognizes the role of the rule of law in a free society—grounded in fairness, stability, and equal protection.
The rule of law means we can understand what is expected of us—and trust that others are held to the same standard. It provides a framework for resolving disagreements through a shared process, rather than power or preference.
It also depends on participation.
Whether it’s voting, attending a local meeting, or serving in your community, the strength of our system comes from people being involved.
In my case, it meant accepting an outcome I didn’t support—and recognizing that the process worked as it should.
That’s what the rule of law looks like in everyday life—and why it remains essential to the American ideal that we all have a role in shaping the laws that govern us.
Dan Gartzke serves on his local town board and is president of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
