Today has been a super-Tuesday, a day on which several states hold elections. We are moving toward the next presidential election this coming November. Some candidates have already dropped out of the race, citing evidence and bills and feelings that they have too small a chance to make going on worthwhile.
Since there is so much talk about division, disagreement and worse in the country now, this book below seems relevant. From Wikipedia in a search for "physical fights in Congress":
Legislative violence broadly refers to any violent clashes between members of a legislature, often physically, inside the legislature and triggered by divisive issues and tight votes. Such clashes have occurred in many countries across time, and notable incidents still regularly occur.
Just today, I learned about "The Field of Blood", a book about physical violence in Congress in the days just before the Civil War. We just had a talk in our Learning in Retirement group, L.I.F.E., about parliamentary procedure. You know, Robert's Rules of Order sort of thing. The point is that getting a group of feisty men together to "talk about issues" can lead to fistfights and worse. In the age of dueling:
A Fatal Duel Between Members in 1838. ... With two other Members of the House present, Henry Wise of Virginia and Delegate George Jones of Wisconsin (the dueling seconds for both men), the duel went beyond the customary two rounds, resulting in Cilley's death in the third round.
Once reading about the history of tableware, I read that putting forks and knives (knives!) on the table was quite questionable as it might lead to stabbings. You can't tell what will happen when you get a group of high-spirited men together at the table with wine and food!
