No Justice No peace

The Sidra is called SHOFTIM which means judges. The whole Sidra deals with the structure of authority in the Holy Land. The most important element of authority are proper Judges . As Rashi says that the appointment of Righteous Judges is necessary for inheriting the Land . The end of the Sidra deals with preparation for wars.
What is the connection ? Improper Judges erode the strength of the country so that its' enemies are emboldened. Secondly, the strife caused by a corrupt Judicial system by nature brings war as a byproduct. As the Mishneh in the Ethics of The Fathers declares that the" Sword comes as a result of Justice Delayed and Justice Denied-Al inuy HaDin VeAl Ivus HaDin!"
One only has to see the results of liberal thinking with regards to letting predators go free , or making popular decisions as opposed to the right one. The net result are children killed by animals in human form.
Does this mean i advocate a hanging Judge? Absolutely not! However, public protection must be a factor in allowing criminals bail. Furthermore the delay tactics of the legal communities with regard to trials must be streamlined. Justice must be fair but it also must be swift. With the ability to access information quickly and evaluate evidence objectively with proper technology, it seems that the present system is fraught with unnecessary delays that allow evil people haven, while punishing the innocent. In every system their are checks and balances necessary. The legal system must find ways of protecting the masses even while giving the individual every opportunity of a reasonable defense.
When society grinds to a halt locally, it causes our image in the world to appear as weak and tentative. If we cannot decide to put predators away, then we don't know how to defend ourselves either. 9/11 showed our vulnerability. We as a nation must truly learn from that tragedy and develop the needed strategies to counter an enemy that is to date beyond our imagination. In order to do so, this country must have a unified will ,fueled by a healthy dose as to what justice is truly about.