When I was a child I trusted and respected Government. When I was a teen I began to have questions and concerns about Government. When I became an adult I wanted a more limited Government.
Now I realize that I don’t want Government. Government is not my friend; it is my foe. Not my enemy, but certainly not concerned with my best interests. It is a necessary evil that should be kept at an arms length and under a watchful eye. Government is a doctor doing brain surgery with a sledge hammer.
One reason Government in America has worked so well for so long is the concept of respectful opposition: The idea that we can have passionate perspectives, disagree, and still treat each other with attention and regard. But respectful opposition is increasingly rare in today’s political landscape as our representatives lie to our faces, use wordcraft to reframe *anything*, and we are deluged with deplorable tweets and blog comments by people who only wish to shout us down, not debate ideas. This is not limited to the left. While it is certainly more pervasive among progressives, some folks on the right exhibit the same behaviors. Conservatives are frustrated and tired of taking it. So, in recent years, you see conservatives adopting the rude, in-your-face tactics of the left to a greater degree.
It will not end well.