The
Roman Republic fell, not because of the ambition of Caesar or Augustus,
but because it had already long ceased to be in any real sense a
republic at all. When the sturdy Roman plebeian, who lived by his own
labor, who voted without reward according to his own convictions, and
who with his fellows formed in war the terrible Roman legion, had been
changed into an idle creature who craved nothing in life save the
gratification of a thirst for vapid excitement, who was fed by the
state, and directly or indirectly sold his vote to the highest bidder,
then the end of the republic was at hand, and nothing could save it. The
laws were the same as they had been, but the people behind the laws had
changed, and so the laws counted for nothing.
-Theodore Roosevelt
Social Justice and Popular Rule: Essays, Addresses, and Public Statements (1923)
Lets hope our country is not headed in the same direction. Although evidence points to us headed that way so far.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I would not say that we are headed that way but are already there. Thankfully, we can always repent. I am just afraid of what the circumstances would have to be which would actually make us consider repentance...
ReplyDeleteYou might be right, sad actually..... I hope that repentance comes easy and it does not get as bad as it might be.
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