Not long ago, in the year 14 CE, Tiberius Caesar Augustus became the second Emperor of Rome. (I mention this because, as we all know, history repeats itself, and so we need to pay attention.) Tiberius as a tyrant needed a means to protect himself from those who might depose him, and so Tiberius allowed his operatives to bring charges against anyone who criticized him. Tiberius declared that anyone who criticized him was “reducing the greatness” of the Emperor and therefore reducing the greatness of the People of Rome, which he alleged was an act of treason. Since Tiberius controlled the Roman judicial process, these enemies of Roman greatness were arbitrarily found guilty of treason and exiled or executed without the legal process that we rightfully expect in America today.

Yet, it is not so different today, now that we have a President who would make himself the Emperor of America in order to “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.” If Trump is permitted to gain control of the judicial system as Tiberius did in Rome, there will be no stopping his power to convict for treason those who oppose him or criticize his efforts to make America great again. It will be possible for Trump’s agents to arrest, detain and execute or deport any of us for speaking or writing in ways that he perceives as a threat to his power.

Based on what we know about Tiberius, we have reason to fear Trump, understanding as we do that what happened 2,000 years ago in Rome can happen here today. But ironically, we cannot respond to Trump with fear; we have to respond to him with outrage and courage. We have to rise up in defense of our Constitution until the threat of Trump as dictator is ended.

Millard Cox

Ripton