Law Day celebrates rule of law, right to vote

By Brittany Carlson, Belvoir EagleMay 7, 2014

Law Day
During the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency's annual Law Day observation May 1, Col. Joseph Keeler, Fort Belvoir staff judge advocate, Professor Joyce Malcolm, George Mason University School of Law, Col. Gregory Gadson, garrison commander and Brig. Ge... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Fort Belvoir, Va. (May 8, 2014) - The U.S. Army Legal Services Agency and the Fort Belvoir Office of the Staff Judge Advocate hosted Law Day activities, May 1, starting with a ceremony at USALSA.

The purpose of Law Day is to celebrate the rule of law in the United States, and to rededicate upholding it and sharing it around the world, said USALSA Commander Brig. Gen. Charles N. Pede.

"The rule of law is, in its essence, the most important thing that any organized society can pursue to be able to be productive and to be healthy and to advance itself," he said. "This is a great way to remind ourselves, there's always work to be done."

This year's Law Day theme was "American Democracy and the Rule of Law: Why Every Vote Matters," according to the American Bar Association.

Guest speaker Joyce Malcolm, professor of Constitutional Law and the Second Amendment at George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Va., talked about the importance of protecting the American voting system from fraud and abuse.

"Popular control of government is really rare in the world," she said. "Even the idea that people have a right to vote is also always at risk. We really need to be vigilant to make sure that the rule of law is followed and that every vote does count."

Malcolm said that military members especially need to continue to vote, even though the absentee ballot system can be off-putting.

In the 2012 presidential election, there was a drop of 70 percent in military ballots in the key states of Ohio and Virginia, she said.

"Part of this may not have anything to do with the government. It may just be that people feel like their votes are not going to count," she said. "It's something that I feel is really important for everybody to be aware of: how important it is that every vote in the military count, especially for people who are willing to risk their lives for the country."

Capt. Dave Lai, Judge Advocate Recruiting Office, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps, said the right to vote is especially important to him as an immigrant to this country serving in the military, along with others like him.

"Law Day and especially the right to vote is part of the reason why we put on the uniform to serve the country. We have a true appreciation, I think especially being first generation Americans, to be in the country where law matters … and that we all have a voice," he said.

After the ceremony, members of USALSA and the OSJA traveled to seven local schools to teach more than 600 children about the importance of Law Day and the right to vote.

"We're teaching elementary school students about the election process, and we're teaching middle school students about the Voting Rights Act of 1965," said Capt. Jessica Morales, a commissioner with the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals, who coordinated the activities with Capt. Tahimy Espaillat, Fort Belvoir Office of the Staff Judge Advocate.

They showed middle school students a 1964 state voter registration form, which was used to determine voter eligibility. The form tested the potential voters on their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, President, and Congress.

"We're going to have the kids read it and try it out against each other, and then explain, 'Can you imagine if you had to vote in the 1960s? This is what you had to go through to vote before the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed and eliminated these kinds of voter registration tests,'" Morales said.

They also held mock elections in elementary schools, where first through third graders voted on whether they would prefer to use colored pencils or markers as writing utensils, or whether they would prefer to eat goldfish crackers or pretzels as their class snack, Morales said.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower established Law Day in 1958 as "a day of national dedication to the principle of government under laws," according to the official proclamation provided by the U.S. Government Printing Office. Congress designated May 1 as the official day Law Day in 1961.

For more information, visit www.lawday.org.