Disputes between the Parties

The current Democratic leader of the Senate is Harry Reid

The current Speaker of the House is Republican John Boehner

To expect nasty verbal exchanges between them

Would be a no-brainer

Boehner blames Reid and the Democrats for disasters at Benghazi, and Veteran’s Administration care,

And asserts the Southern Border is really an open door

Reid claims Boehner and the Republicans

Are waging war on women, gays and the poor 

Of course these attacks are not physical in nature

No fisticuffs take place because of differing views of the course best for our nation

The weapons involved are press releases and the human voice

Pitched at a high level of indignation 

If you assume this was always true

You would not have been told

Of what occurred on the Senate Floor

On May 22^nd, 1856, in an attack that was outrageously bold 

The major dispute at the time was whether Kansas should be admitted to the union as slave or free

Senator Charles Sumner strongly favored admission as a free state

Representative Preston Brooks believed expanding slavery was his personal mission

This was the background to the incident that significantly altered both men’s fate 

One day Congressman Brook appeared on the Senate Floor

And with his metal tipped cane repeatedly struck Sumner in the head

And then walked off the floor unobstructed

Probably thinking Sumner was dead 

In any event, Sumner slowly recovered

And resumed his anti-slavery mission

Overnight he and Brooks became heroes

To supporters of their respective position 

The current Republicans and Democrats now utilize

Derogatory verbal comments and snide press releases to justify their view

Both would be horrified at the prospect of being physically attacked by an opponent

Who felt so strongly that he concluded violence was his due