What is going on currently in the American government is unsettling. Personal pride and party loyalty have led to a dysfunctional Congress which fails to accomplish anything notable. In Lincoln’s first passage, he touches on the frustration a good citizen feels when his governing body "offers them no protection." In this situation, Lincoln points out, these citizens have a right to become "tired and disgusted" with this government and would not be "averse to a change in which they imagine they have nothing to lose."
Perhaps Lincoln had some foresight into what would be unfolding in his own country hundreds of years later. The inability of Congress to pass productive bills and laws has citizens questioning its legitimacy. When the people do not feel protected, they will rebel, as Lincoln pointed out above. Up until now, not much unlawful activity has occurred in opposition to Congress, but stirrings and riots have been in the works. In this country, however, it only takes one mistake to make people go from civil disobedience to unrelenting violence and unrest.
In my opinion, there is no place for the good citizens to gather and take matters into their own hands if they feel that their government is not doing a good job. Granted, Congress is having difficulty getting things done right now, but maybe they will figure things out. If anything, there are more divides among the American public than within the government. Even if the public went to unlawful measures to challenge the government, there would be no structure and it would be a mess of people fighting for a voice
