The Big Myth

Dispatches from San Juan by “Teddy Roosevelt”

The recent tragedy in Arizona has once again opened the debate about the “tone” of political discourse. The media and certain politicians hawk the story that it has reached a new low.

Many have pointed out how those who complain seem to have a double standard or seem to be using a tragedy that had very little to do with politics for political gain.

That however all begs the question, has political discourse reached a new low? Well any one who has actually bothered to read a history book knows that to be utterly false.

Political rivals Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton fought a duel that ended Hamilton’s life and Burrs career. Andrew Jackson was involved in numerous duels that at their core stemmed from political disputes. One of those duels crippled his arm. In the up run to the Civil War tempers ran rather high and violence was rampant not only among the common man but among politicians as well. Preston Smith Brooks (August 5, 1819 – January 27, 1857) was a Democratic Congressman from South Carolina, who severely beat Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the United States Senate with a cane in response to a rather nasty speech Sumner had given that referred to Brooks’s cousin, South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler. During the attack South Carolina Rep. Laurence M. Keitt held off those who wished to help Sumner with a Pistol. Sumner suffered from the results of the beating for years afterwards.

After the most violent of political disputes, the Civil War, the American political scene continued to be rough and tumble. The gunfight at the OK Corral was a cultural battle and to a large extent a battle between “business interests” but it was also a political battle.

Did you know the Earps where Republicans and the Clantons and their allies where Democrats?

The Republicans hammered FDR pretty hard until the War started and within more recent memory many of us can remember the heated political vitriol of the 1960’s that sometimes spilled into violence. This does not even begin to touch on the political violence that runs through out our history.

Now before you start screaming, I am not advocating that it is OK to resolve our differences with gun fights and violence (at least not publicly).

My point is let’s not loose perspective. Yes there are a lot of passionate people out there. Sometimes they even say stupid things. However the situation is no where near the worst it has ever been in this country. In fact historically speaking it is pretty damn tame.

I think we have much more to fear from those who exaggerate the circumstances in an effort to silence dissent.

“Teddy Roosevelt” is a pseudonym for a long term MMM contributor who used to blog at Monmouth Bullmoose. “Teddy” frequently posts as TR in the comments.