Chapter 103: The Rules of Rulo

It was time to lay down the law. As dramatic as that sounds, it was exactly that dramatic. The things we decided as the core rules tonight, would probably be in effect for years, at the very least. Tremendous pressure comes with that, since you are the people defining how others will live.

I viewed our first set of rules as a draft of an eventual more complex set. I also didn’t fancy myself to be any sort of advanced political thinker. I just stuck to what I knew.

We hit our first snag before we ever really got started. Of course, we did. That’s how this shit goes. Timmons weaseled his way off the council, offering his wife up as a replacement. His excuse was that he would be gone too often to be a valid contributor. Fabiola would take his place. Bastard actually left immediately, to ‘go watch the children’ as an excuse. Slick move on his part.

We got down to business. Sonya was recording and I was running the meeting. We started with the basics.

Rule #1: All persons are equal and have the same rights.

Done, no equivocations, no conditions. This part was easy. Hell, I was appointing myself to be the judge and I would enforce that ‘all persons’ meant everyone, regardless of anything short of a capital crime. The fewer words the better; there’d be less to be twisted around later. I would explain to Pete what this meant tomorrow morning. That would be a fun conversation.

Rule #2: Religion is a private matter between a person and their chosen deity. Religion is confined to private property and shall not be used in any manner to limit Rule #1.

I know you love your version of god, but I’m not interested, so take it on back home. If you want to build a church, build it on your own land and pay the taxes associated. Proselytizing would be strictly prohibited. I had seen the deadly power of churches and the blood they had shed for centuries. I wasn’t going to allow that here. I expected the Christians to blow a gasket over this one.

Rule #3: You will not kill or assault other citizens.

Easy, folks. Don’t hurt the village. We’d all need each other to survive. If any hurting needed to be done here, I’d be the one doing it. Assault meant everything and anything physical that the other person did not want.

Rule #4: Full citizenship can be obtained at the beginning of the eighteenth year or any time after by pledging an oath to these rules.

It’s not hard to join us, but you have to swear that you will follow the rules. Eighteen is the age of full adulthood.

Rule #5: You will not steal, defraud, or over-charge.

Again, not rocket science. Be on the up-and-up with all transactions or face judgement.

Rule #6: You will not bear false witness, spread rumors, or, in any way, publicly injure a citizen with communication.

A bit tougher, but I knew what the future would bring. Mass media would unleash hell on the rights of those publicly judged and shamed without warrant. Don’t say anything you can’t prove in front of the judge. Falsely accusing another of a crime ... well, that earned you whatever punishment the accused would have been in line for.

Rule #7: You will not commit adultery.

I got to define adultery. To me, that meant having sex with someone’s partner without their prior agreement. As I knew from personal experience, cheating brings on way too much havoc and I wasn’t going to have it. If you were desperate to bang the neighbor’s partner, you must get that neighbor to agree without enticement. Keep yourself at home and out of other people’s relationships.