Partisan Politics

It is the year 2006. The congress has long been poisoned by election year politics. These days, one joins a party and never goes against the party line. Also, once one joins a party they are always bashing the other party. Well, let's go back a little under 200 years.
In 1807, Thomas Jefferson who was president at that time imposed trade embargos against Great Britain. The reason? Great Britain was seizing American ships, and pressing the sailors into service for Her Majisties Royal Navy. The British were claiming that these Americans were in fact, still British citizens. Therefore, they were required to serve in the British Navy.
When Thomas Jefferson imposed the trade embargo, it basically destroyed Massatucettes economy. This didn't make the Federalists too happy. They decried Thomas Jefferson's actions, and called for his impeachment. However, a freshman senator from Massachusettes who happend to be a Federalist went against the party line.
John Quincy Adams was his name, and although he was shunned by his own party for his actions in standing by the President, who happend to be a Jeffersonian, or Non-Federalist. Adams saw past the partisan politics and believed more in what was good for the country. He realized that Jefferson was correct in imposing the trade embargo as a message to Great Britain that America would not tolerate the seizure of American ships and sailors. Adams exhibited a lot of courage in his actions, and although it cost him the support of his party, he won the support of the country. He was elected President after Jefferson, and led the country to victory during the war of 1812. Thus America's national identity was established , and America gained the respect of the world.
The lesson in all this is that Americans need to look past party lines and work together for the national good. Our country is being poisoned by partisan politics, and our country is once again divided. We are not heeding George Washington's warning to stay away from drawing party lines. We need to reexamine our history, and use it to form our future.
(For more information on this story from history, look to John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage."