I'm tired of newspaper articles that argue that the current incivility in national politics isn't all bad relative to the worst moments in U.S. history. Every time there is an article like "Dick Cheney Calls Dick Gephardt Dick Head," next to it will be a companion: "The Nation's First Bitch Slap: Hamilton vs. Burr."

While it is comforting to know we haven't surpassed events like "Senator Coughs During Colleague's Speech, Gets Bayoneted" (1869) or "Rockefeller Socks a Fella" (1912) it's time to raise the bar. If your eight-year-old takes a dump on the carpet, it doesn't help that he also did it at age two and flung it at your mother while singing the Star Spangled Banner. He's eight. He's out of the plastic pants. He should know better.

I feel like this country is in denial. Our politicians act more uncivil and display a Machiavellian worldview through their actions, and our comfort is that at least they didn't write The Prince.