The rules for citizens can be rewritten at a whim, we should not let go of the centuries of legal protections that predate them
Under ancient Roman law, those who were accused of the most heinous crimes were stripped of their status as citizens. They became known as “homo sacer”, or “sacred man” – sacred in its original sense, of being set apart. Anyone who encountered the sacred man was entitled to kill him with impunity. The distinction depended on the privileged political and legal status afforded to Roman citizens.
With the fall of the Roman empire, the rigorous divisions it upheld – between those deserving protection and those no better than beasts – fell into abeyance. It has taken a long time for the concept of “citizen” to be reconstituted to the point where its withdrawal can once again be considered akin to a death sentence.
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