What of men like Adams, Washington, and Jefferson? Were they adopting "the affectation of adolescent boys"?
I think your generalization is over-general; but what is left when the entire system of governance is against you? Consider this: you cannot challenge a state-statute as being a violation of the State Constitution w/o violating that statute and therefore implicitly acknowledging that statute's authority. (i.e. the system forces one to argue from a position of weakness, even when the statute is against the high authority of the state.) And it is an order of magnitude worse on the Federal level because there is an assumption that the high court defines the [federal] Constitution... the same Constitution which creates and limits them they implicitly lay claim over.
At this point; a point where the TSA as a matter of routine violates the 4th Amendment, a point where the recording of public officers who are "doing their duty" in public is deemed "obstruction of justice", a point where all three branches ignore the authority that constrains them, at that point... what is left? (And we must remember that those in power are disinclined to relinquish it.)
This is what is left:
Those are our choices, and it is rapid approaching the point where we-as-a-nation must choose.
We may yet come to that, but forgive me, I don't want to kill anyone because I'm good at it. We're all very good at it, we Americans, and that sort of thing touched off cannot be stopped until a lot of people who needn't die, will.
Thank You! I was trying to come up with a way of saying what you did so well - wanting war is nuts - foregoing it into slavery and tyranny is insane.