Public outpourings to local law enforcement agencies are more than signs of appreciation; they are affirmations of "social contract" theory - a philosophy as old as the establishment of societies.
Donations of cookies, pizzas and more to the Jefferson City Police Department and Cole County Sheriff's Department were described in a story in Thursday's News Tribune. The demonstrations of appreciation come in the aftermath of recent conflicts elsewhere.
In the aftermath of separate incidents where suspects were shot by police officers, retaliation has come in the form of deliberate killings of police officers. The toll includes the murders of five officers in Dallas, Texas, and three in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The local shows of support serve as recognition that law enforcement officers are facing twin challenges at this time. Officers are grieving the loss of their peers killed in the line of duty, while simultaneously exercising additional vigilance and caution.
But the appreciation also symbolizes a desire to re-establish the fundamentals of the social contract between the people and their government.
Britannica.com defines social contract, in political philosophy, as "an actual or hypothetical compact, or agreement, between the ruled and their rulers, defining the rights and duties of each."
The philosophy has been refined through the ages, notably in the writings of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
A modern fundamental is citizens relinquish the right to proverbially "take the law into their own hands" in exchange for protection and justice from established government law enforcement and judicial entities.
A breakdown has occurred.
Some people contend the breakdown began with police officers who used excessive force against black citizens; they also contend the incidents suggest a systematic pattern.
The answer is to investigate both and punish any wrongdoing, according to the rule of law. The answer is not retaliatory violence that escalates conflict and erodes both the rule of law and our social contract.
We believe the people - as evidenced by the outpourings of support to law enforcement - are eager to restore the spirit of community, cooperation and safety essential to society.
If improvements to the social contract are needed, let's do that - together.