A great many people in this country are worried about law-and-order. And a great many people are worried about justice. But one thing is certain: you cannot have either until you have both.

Clark contrasts two public anxieties—“law-and-order” and “justice”—and argues they are not competing goals but mutually dependent. “Law-and-order” without justice becomes coercion: rules enforced unevenly or without legitimacy invite resentment and instability. “Justice” without law-and-order becomes aspiration without reliable institutions to secure rights and protect the vulnerable. The line reflects a civil-libertarian view often associated with debates over policing, protest, and civil rights: social peace is sustainable only when legal authority is perceived as fair, accountable, and equally applied. The quote’s force lies in reframing a polarized debate into a single standard of legitimacy.