reading # one

In Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation Joseph J. Ellis writes:

"The politics of the 1790s was a truly cacophonous affair. Previous historicans have labeled it "the Age of Passion" for good reason, for in terms of shrill accusatory rhetoric, flamboyant displays of ideological intransigence, intense personal rivalries, and hyperbolic claims of imminent catastrophe, it has no equal in American history. The political dialogue within the highest echelon of the revolutionary generation was a decade-long shouting match."

It's refreshing to me to read those words. I spend an enromous amount of time consuming politics, both from primary (politicans) and secondary (media outlets) sources. It's hard to imagine a time when rhetoric was more divisive (see Howard Dean's comments), or more personal. However, I do take solice in that our nation has weathered through other, extremely-intense times.