Kimball Shinkoskey: Lessons from the fall of Rome

To The Daily Sun,

America is now at the point Rome was when that democracy fell—disorder and disarray.

In Rome, some retired presidents (consuls), together with religious personnel, were elected to civic positions as “augurs,” to provide a conscience for the nation. Augurs were well versed in ethics, science, theology, and law. They taught the people about the unchanging purpose and operation of the constitutional law.

A retired consul named Cicero, now an augur, stood up to teach the law and remind Romans of their traditional citizen responsibilities. But he was too late. Caesar relieved the people of their legislative duties.

Where are men, or women, like Cicero today? We have perhaps one, Mitt Romney. Could Barack Obama be another? But are these two enough for the task? And another thing, are they too late and too short of the mark?

Kimball Shinkoskey

Woods Cross, Utah