“When law ends. Tyranny begins.”
Today, I walked with my friend Howard to the Charleston County Judicial Building to visit a sculpture he’d recently discovered there of William Pitt. The statue stands alone in the long corridor that visitors use to enter and exit the building. Its imposing presence, along with Pitt’s wise words, give you the impression that he’s overseeing all that happens in this plain brick building and that law is being carried out as intended in our constitution.
I was only here once before, and, unfortunately, I don’t recall noticing Pitt. But I was preoccupied with the role I was playing that day as a witness to a divorce proceeding. It was an emotional day, and I was there to support a dear friend as she finalized her marriage contract and gained her freedom.
But, in today’s political climate, Pitt’s words are even more meaningful. We as a country are being challenged daily as the line where law enforcement begins and ends is pushed beyond the norm of the past three or four decades. I wasn’t alive during the Civil Rights movement, but from what I’ve read we’re seeing flashbacks to those times where normal Americans are standing up for their rights.
As I studied the plaques and the history of this statue that arrived in Charleston in 1766, prior to our American Revolution, I thought about what freedom means and how fortunate I am to be born in this country. The United States has fought many wars since this sculpture of Pitt arrived and was placed in the center of Meeting and Broad streets, where he was later damaged by cannon fire during the Revolution and relocated to safer locations until finding his way to the Judicial Center. Our laws are intended to retain our freedoms and uphold the constitution. I hope that as 2026 continues toward the November midterm elections, we remember Pitt and law does prevail over tyranny.
