patience

i’ve been thinking a lot lately about something i read on john perry barlow’s site.

A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt……If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake.

— Thomas Jefferson, from a letter he sent in 1798 after the passage of the Sedition Act

(Via BarlowFriendz.)

i was just IMing with citizen x, and he posited that the reign of witches NEVER ENDED. i am not sure. ours is an imperfect system, there is no question.
it’s probably a function of age, but the urge to run down telegraph avenue throwing concrete trash cans through the windows of the gap and bank of america doesn’t hit me much anymore. is this patience?
let’s be patient. for our own well-being and sanity. but also, let’s not give up.