Letters

It may come as a surprise to see an analogy drawn between jurisprudence and astrophysics.

The science of astrophysics is derived from carefully rendered and proven mathematical equations. Human curiosity draws us ineluctably to the moment when our universe was created, when a spark of light was introduced into the void and thereafter expanded exponentially.

What we are coming to understand is that the universe is mathematically perfect. And it follows from this that what we call truth must also be mathematically perfect. This is what gives it symmetry and resonance. The introduction of chaos may distort truth but can never destroy it. Truth is a moral absolute.

Our system of justice is based upon a search for the truth and has evolved over millennia as human thought and experience have developed. As an enlightened society, we have become aware that the operation of moral law will ultimately govern our lives, whether that be in global terms or in the most specific events in our personal lives. Those who habitually tell lies and dissemble will sooner or later descend into the pale and be of no consequence.

Whatever may be our faith or system of beliefs, whether they be held individually or within the human collective, we will all be better off if we use our best efforts to help others and get along with one another.

Robert E. Stafford

Hampton Bays