When grievance overrides justice: The risk of declaring nothing illegal
By Michael Hancock | Guest Commentary, Undercurrent
How Moral Slogans Collapse the Rule of Law
“There is no such thing as illegal on stolen land.”
It is a clever slogan—short, moral, and absolute. And like most slogans that aspire to absoluteness, it collapses the moment it is treated as an argument rather than a chant.
The claim rests on a simple premise: because land was once taken unjustly, no law exercised upon it today can be legitimate. The conclusion sounds radical, even righteous. In reality, it is neither. It is a logical error masquerading as moral courage—and one with consequences far more destructive than its advocates seem willing to admit.
Begin with the historical reality the slogan quietly ignores. There is no land on earth untouch...










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