If you’re suffering from a paralyzing feeling of hopelessness about the state of the nation, you’re not alone. John Adams acknowledged this feeling in 1813 but he didn’t blame the people; he blamed the politicians for cultivating it for their own purposes.
Adams wrote, “Every day increases my grief and astonishment for the glaring contrast between the spirit, activity, and energy of the people of New England from 1774 to 1783 and the torpor which deadens everything in 1813. This cannot last. The character of the people is not altered. It is the magic of politics which has produced this seeming lethargy. A black art indeed! A dæmon that must and will be exorcised.”
Adams wanted the people to be actively involved.
He wanted them to perform an exorcism.
November 3, 2020. What an excellent day for an exorcism.
