Politics Have Always Been Ugly

Most people say that this presidential election is the worst in the history of the United States. Many politicians are ready to practically tear each other’s throats out! Everyone is talking at one another but is there anyone out there listening? Actually, most of you are, right? We each have our own ideas about which party can run this country better. How many times have you heard about the wisdom of our Founding Fathers who created the Constitution – a document that has stood the test of time. Do people actually think that the Founding Fathers powdered their wigs and dressed in their finest clothes to sit in a room and calmly write the U.S. Constitution? It is a great thought, but more like a fairy tale. Back room brawls and pure hatred grew out of how the country should be run. The ideas were as far apart as the east is from the west. From the start, the Founding Fathers were never in agreement over how to run our new government. One of the famous disagreements between two politicians ended tragically, and both were famous in their own right. Aaron Burr was not only a Revolutionary War veteran, but he also spent the winter at Valley Forge, was a lawyer, a Founding Father, the 2nd President of Princeton, and then a Senator and Vice President under President Jefferson. His adversary was Alexander Hamilton, who was also a Revolutionary War veteran, a Founding Father, the major author of the Federalist Papers, the first Secretary of the Treasury under President Washington, and a supporter of a strong central government. Both believed in this country, but the feuding got out of hand, and harsh remarks were exchanged. Eventually, things came to a head and both men agreed to a duel with pistols. The arrangements were done in secret. During the morning of the duel, Secretary Hamilton got off the first shot and missed. Vice President Burr shot and hit Secretary Hamilton’s stomach, fracturing a rib, passing through the diaphragm and liver, then lodging in his spine. He died 31 hours later. Vice President Burr served out his term, but his career was never the same. It was the first time a Vice President had killed another politician over politics. Let us hope it was the last. Did the duel change anything? No. This country went on as before and, God willing, it will continue to do so after this election, as well. This election and its aftermath will be an unruly rumpus but remember one thing, politics is always politics. Just like before, we will get through this!