Laws and actions that violate rule of law are unjust, and should be met with resistance, because rule of law is necessary for a just society. This is the essence of civil disobedience. And it is NOT what Trump is talking about. He’s talking about being above the law.

Another example: Were Anne Frank or the people who hid her violating rule of law in Nazi Germany? No. Nazi Germany didn’t have rule of law because it didn’t hold ALL PEOPLE equal before the law.

And by violating unjust laws in a civil and non-violent way, and facing the unjust consequences (she was arrested, jailed, and found guilty of disorderly conduct), Rosa Parks “saved her country” by bringing about change to uphold rule of law.

That said, the notion that people are inherently and eternally whatever crime they were sentenced for is not right or helpful (murders and rapists).

For instance, a friend who committed murder as a young man, did 40 years and now runs a food program in his community and works with our DOC

The largest meta-analysis ever done on this topic concluded prison causes more crime than it prevents (even accounting for incapacitation)...And I have seen how much violence prison generates up close...Trauma foregrounds a lot of violence and piling trauma on top of trauma is a bad solution

We‘re in the middle already.