Mob law is the most forcible expression of an abnormal public

In the annals of history, there are moments when the collective heart of a society grows sick, when its pulse beats not with wisdom or justice, but with the fevered rage of the masses. The words of Timothy Thomas Fortune echo like a solemn bell in such moments: “Mob law is the most forcible expression of an abnormal public opinion; it shows that society is rotten to the core.” These words speak to a profound truth—that when the masses are stirred to violence, when the rule of law is abandoned, it is not a moment of justice, but a sign of society's decay, its moral corruption, and its collective failure to uphold the principles of reason and compassion.

The mob—a furious, undisciplined force—rises not from the will of the enlightened few, but from the disillusioned and the disenfranchised. It is an expression of panic, of fear, and of a society that has lost its way. In such moments, reason and justice are often drowned out by the roar of the crowd, and the law becomes a casualty of the collective impulse. The actions of a mob are not rooted in logic, but in emotion, and often they are driven by prejudice, hatred, and fear. They are not the product of reasoned debate or careful reflection, but of an abnormal public opinion—one that has become twisted, distorted, and detached from the principles that once guided society.

One need only look to the tragic history of lynch mobs in America to see how mob law can rear its ugly head. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, innocent people, particularly Black Americans, were often dragged from their homes and hanged by mobs incited by racial fear, hatred, and unfounded accusations. These acts of violence were not the actions of a just society, but the expression of a society that had become rotten to the core—a society where the law was disregarded and human lives became expendable at the whim of the crowd. Timothy Thomas Fortune was right: when mob law reigns, it is a sign that something far deeper has gone wrong in the fabric of society. It is the sickening expression of a broken system, one that has lost its connection to reason, compassion, and justice.

Let us not think, however, that this is a phenomenon confined only to history. In modern times, we have witnessed riots, violent protests, and other expressions of mob rule driven by the collective rage of those who feel oppressed, unheard, or disenfranchised. In these instances, the mob becomes the embodiment of a society's failure to provide avenues for justice, to listen to the voices of the marginalized, and to address the deep wounds of inequality. When the mob takes to the streets, it is not just a matter of anger; it is a matter of the moral rot that has festered unchecked for too long. It is a reflection of a society’s failure to heal, to unite, and to find common ground in the pursuit of justice and peace.

And yet, the mob does not stand alone in this sorrow. For in the moment of the mob’s rise, we must look inward, as individuals and as a society, and ask ourselves: What have we become? We are each complicit in the disintegration of the principles that once held society together. Timothy Thomas Fortune’s words implore us to reflect deeply—the rise of the mob is not merely the result of isolated incidents, but the culmination of long-standing failures in justice, equity, and reason. It is the expression of a broken system that has failed to listen, failed to act, and failed to heal.

The lesson here, dear listener, is not just a cautionary tale, but a clarion call to action. We must remember that when mob law takes hold, it is a sign that the foundations of society are in jeopardy. It is our duty to prevent the decay of those foundations by upholding the principles of justice, reason, and compassion in our daily lives. We must engage in the hard work of building a society where the law serves not just the powerful, but all people—a society where the voices of the marginalized are heard, where the wounds of injustice are healed, and where peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice.

If we are to avoid the horrors of mob law and the decay it signifies, we must actively fight for the values that bind us together—equality, justice, and righteousness. We must seek not to silence the voices of the oppressed, but to hear them. We must not allow our emotions to rule our actions, but instead allow reason and justice to guide us toward a society that is whole, that is united, and that is just. In this way, we ensure that the mob does not become the expression of our society, but a warning—a reminder that we must never lose sight of what it means to be truly human.