Larry Delano Coleman
The current United States Senate Republican embargo of President Barack Obama 's Supreme Court nominees without a hearing, a vote, or even a simple inquiry into their individual merits, reminds me of the 2nd century African author, Tertullian's, castigation of the Roman Senate for its indiscriminate persecution of Christians under similarly absurd circumstances in his classic work, THE APOLOGY.
This Carthaginian writes:
"Rulers of the Roman Empire, if, seated for the administration of justice on your lofty tribunal, under the gaze of every eye, and occupying there all but the highest position in the state, you may not openly inquire into and sift before the world the real truth in regard to the charges made against the Christians; if in this case alone you are afraid or ashamed to exercise your authority in making public inquiry with the carefulness that becomes justice; if, finally, the extreme severities inflicted on our people in recently private judgments, stand in our way of being able to defend ourselves before you, you cannot surely forbid the Truth to reach your ears by the secret pathway of a noiseless book. She has no appeals to make to you in regard to her condition, for that does not excite her wonder. She knows that she is but a sojourner on the earth, and that among strangers she naturally finds foes; and more than this, that her origin, her dwelling-place, her hope, her recompense, her honors are all above. One thing, meanwhile, she anxiously desires of earthly rulers--not to be condemned unknown.... For what is there that is more unfair than to hate a thing of which you know nothing, even though it deserve to be hated? Hatred is only merited when it is known to be merited. But without that knowledge, whence is Its justice to be vindicated?... When men, then, give way to a dislike simply because they are entirely ignorant of the thing disliked, why may it not be precisely the very sort of thing they should not dislike?"
P. 1-2, (2014)
"Rulers of the Roman Empire, if, seated for the administration of justice on your lofty tribunal, under the gaze of every eye, and occupying there all but the highest position in the state, you may not openly inquire into and sift before the world the real truth in regard to the charges made against the Christians; if in this case alone you are afraid or ashamed to exercise your authority in making public inquiry with the carefulness that becomes justice; if, finally, the extreme severities inflicted on our people in recently private judgments, stand in our way of being able to defend ourselves before you, you cannot surely forbid the Truth to reach your ears by the secret pathway of a noiseless book. She has no appeals to make to you in regard to her condition, for that does not excite her wonder. She knows that she is but a sojourner on the earth, and that among strangers she naturally finds foes; and more than this, that her origin, her dwelling-place, her hope, her recompense, her honors are all above. One thing, meanwhile, she anxiously desires of earthly rulers--not to be condemned unknown.... For what is there that is more unfair than to hate a thing of which you know nothing, even though it deserve to be hated? Hatred is only merited when it is known to be merited. But without that knowledge, whence is Its justice to be vindicated?... When men, then, give way to a dislike simply because they are entirely ignorant of the thing disliked, why may it not be precisely the very sort of thing they should not dislike?"
P. 1-2, (2014)
