Trying to collect my thoughts

I'll be honest, that's a lot of information to devour! 200 pages of BCOF feels like the equivalent of 24 straight hours of the history channel. The one thought that came up time and time again during my reading was, "Wow." It was so difficult for me to imagine the described events taking place. Watching the progression of north vs. south tension was frustrating. I wanted to jump through time and smack some people around! The blatant disregard for laws, rights, morals ... ugh. I can't believe how many times people were let off the hook by judges or juries simply because they agreed with the actions of the defendants. On both sides! At one point there was a quote from a southerner that said something like, "Public opinion is higher than any law." What a frightening time to live. Not knowing whether you'd be protected or scorned. Imagine living in Kansas trying to fight against the Lecompton Constitution without any hope of a fair election or referendum. The hypocrisy of some of these groups is mind-numbing. I loved Lincoln's quote about the Know-Nothings. He was talking specifically about them, but I believe it applies to so many of the people we've been reading about. "I think little better than I do of the slavery extensionists ... Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty -- to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy."