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We remember the Puritans as the people with the funny hats and blunderbusses who supposedly invented shooting Turkeys for Thanksgiving. They are also famous for their obsession with avoiding sin and insistence on deciding who merited Gods approval.

This stereotype is not completely fair, but its got a lot of truth in it. Suffice it to say if you were a time traveler in search of a great time, you would want to steer clear of 1600s Massachusetts. And if you were a Native American back then, you might have been confused by the way such moral people were so adept at stealing land and hanging each other for heresy.

Nobody wants to be called a Puritan anymore, but the Puritans are still with us. And theyre not just fanatical English Protestants. They hail from all religions and ideologies. They are Republicans and Democrats, Muslims and Christians, the uneducated and academics; all ready to take to social media or the pulpit or the classroom and denounce heretics. These people are passionate about their causes, almost obsessed with them at times to the point of rigidity, ready at the drop of a hat to eviscerate those who disagree with them and pronounce them not just mistaken, but bad people whose opinions must be silenced.

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The recent tempest in a teapot over Vice President Mike Pences marital habits he accidentally revealed that he tries very hard to be faithful to his wife was an odd example of this. The people tearing into him on social media for being a Puritan revealed more than a little of this Puritan rigidity in themselves an impatience and disgust with anyone who violated their standards of how to live.

The Puritans werent all wrong, of course. Its with some bemusement that I listen to people who have no patience for the religious convictions of fundamentalists take their own no-compromise stances on other moral issues, like racism or womens rights.

Theyre right to take a stand on those issues. But if they were just a tiny bit more open minded, they might see what they have in common with the Puritans. Modern people think sexual assault is destructive and repugnant. The Puritans agreed, and also said adultery was destructive and repugnant.

Feminism, racial issues, abortion, poverty these are moral debates. And they divide people with strong moral passions. Even those who attack religion, it turns out, have their own moral orthodoxies, and need to guard against that little Puritan on their shoulder whispering in their ear.

Where some of the Puritans went wrong, like many have since, was to lose their balance on that awfully delicate high wire of living life with both passion and compassion, with conviction and tolerance; being firm in their beliefs and yet living amicably with those who arent; standing firm on core values but being flexible on others.

Many of us struggle with that high-wire act. And that should give us compassion, for each other, and for those darn Puritans.

Andrew Sharp is a producer at The Daily Times and delmarvanow.com. Email him at asharp@delmarvanow.com. Find him on Twitter @buckeye_201 and on Facebook @andrewsharp201.

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Mike Pence and the attack of the Puritans - Delmarva Daily Times

After a recent Washington Post profile of second lady Karen Pence noted that her husband never eats meals alone with other women or attends events where alcohol is served without her, ravenous liberals used that detail to smear Vice President Mike Pence as a sexist who reduces women to sexual temptresses and stalls their professional advancement. This week, however, Pence's policy received some unintentional backup from an unlikely source former Gov. Robert Bentley, R-Ala.

In a dramatic conclusion to the made-for-television sex scandal involving the governor and his senior political advisor, Bentley resigned on Monday and reported directly to the Montgomery County Jail where he is currently serving a 30-day sentence. Tracing Bentley's career-ending relationship with adviser Rebekah Mason to its origins, reports indicate that increasing occasions where the two spent time alone was an early signal to observers they were engaged in extramarital relations, or moving in that direction at least.

A report in Al.com claims the governor's wife, Dianne Bentley, began "having concerns about the amount of time her husband" spent with Mason in 2013, noting Mason "frequently [texted] her boss and [was] seen in close conversations" with him. Staffers also reported that Bentley and Mason were "often behind closed doors."

According to an ABC interview with Jason Zengerle, a GQ writer who published an investigative report on the affair last summer, sources close to the governor said they would "walk into a room where the governor and Rebekah Mason were together and both the governor and Mason would be startled as if they were doing something they didn't want other people to see."

Nobody knows exactly when or how the affair began, but, as Al.com reported, Dianne Bentley started noticing changes in her husband in 2013, around the time Mason was selected to run communications for Bentley's re-election campaign and the two started "spending more time together." Again, it is not clear if meals the two shared, or mutual attendance at alcohol-fueled events, ultimately lead to the affair the only occasions Pence's policy actually prevents.

But, of course, if Bentley had committed to refraining from increased one-on-one time with staffers of the opposite sex, he likely would not be behind bars today.

That goes for Mason, as well.

To be clear, people of the opposite sex need to be able to spend time alone together professionally, and it is important for men to respect women enough to make that possible without sexualizing the circumstances. Any restrictions on those interactions should probably apply to working people of both sexes in a marriage as well. (We do not know if the Pence's rule also applies to Karen.)

This is not to say the Pence policy is right for every marriage, but in politics, where rising powers such as Bentley and Pence work odd hours, often with female staffers, the temptations are unique.

Also from the Washington Examiner

Trump on Thursday declined to answer a direct question from a reporter as to whether he ordered the strike.

04/14/17 11:20 AM

It is not unreasonable, then, to erect unique boundaries either.

Bentley's affair is a case study in how the dynamics of political life can combine to form a perfect storm of variables that swirls around even the happiest of marriages, claiming victims unprepared for the impact.

Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.

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What disgraced Gov. Robert Bentley could have learned from Mike Pence - Washington Examiner

Donald Trump with Mike Pence, left, and Paul Ryan, at a Congress.

The Trump administration is considering economic sanctions and military options if North Korea goes forward with a ballistic missile or nuclear test, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Vice President Mike Pence will discuss the U.S. response to a North Korean provocation on a visit to South Korea and Japan as part of a 10-day tour of Asia beginning this weekend. Hell arrive in Seoul on Easter Sunday, one day after the April 15 anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Koreas founder. White House foreign policy aides who requested anonymity to discuss the vice presidents travel say North Korea has telegraphed the possibility of a nuclear or missile test to coincide with its national holiday.

Tensions are rising between the North Korean regime and President Donald Trumps government, and the U.S. is ratcheting up pressure on China to contain its neighbor and ally. Pences trip follows Trumps dispatch of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group to the waters around the Korean peninsula. Commercial satellite imagery of North Koreas Punggye-ri nuclear test site obtained by 38 North, a program devoted to analysis of the country at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, showed activity at the site suggestive of preparations for a nuclear test.

Hundreds of foreign journalists have been invited to Pyongyang in conjunction with the anniversary celebration.

North Korea is a problem, Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. The problem will be taken care of.

The White House is thought to be discussing the possibility of a limited missile strike in North Korea if concerns over the progress of its nuclear program intensify.But public opinion in the South does not favor a U.S. strike that could provoke a North Korean counterattack against its neighbor.

"This threat is growing, and our presidents first strike or left-of-launch options and his strategic decision space and time are becoming limited, because of these advancements," Senator Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican, said earlier this month at a forum hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

White House aides have said it is the administrations policy not to publicly outline definitive consequences for certain behaviors. But such a move would certainly draw concern in South Korea, which would most likely face the brunt of any retaliation.

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The White House expects South Korean officials to raise the issue during the vice presidents visit, and Pence also plans to discuss possible military steps with Army General Vincent Brooks, the commander of United States Forces Korea. Pences team also expects South Korean leadership to raise the possibility of tightening economic sanctions against North Korea and firms that do business with the country, the officials said.

QuickTake: North Koreas Nukes

Trump administration officials say they have seen progress after urging China to help constrain North Koreas antagonism.

Trump on Wednesday highlighted Chinas move to ban coal imports from North Korea, noting that a fleet of cargo ships had turned around to return to their home port of Nampo during his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week at Mar-A-Lago.

Thats a big step, and they have many other steps that I know about, Trump said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Separately, the Global Times, a Communist Party-affiliated Chinese newspaper, argued in an editorial that Beijing should support stiffer UN sanctions against North Korea, including the limit of oil exports, if the country conducts another another nuclear test.

North Korean state media said the government was prepared to respond to U.S. aggression.

"Our revolutionary strong army is keenly watching every move by enemy elements with our nuclear sight focused on the U.S. invasionary bases not only in South Korea and the Pacific operation theater but also in the U.S. mainland," the Rodong Sinmun newspaper said.

While in South Korea, Pence is expected to meet with U.S. troops and promote the deployment of the U.S. Thaad missile-defense system in the region.

Explaining Thaad, and Why It So Bothers China: QuickTake Q&A

The Lockheed Martin Corp. system has unnerved China, split South Koreans and become an issue in the campaign to replace impeached President Park Geun-hye. Moon Jae-in, the candidate for the left-leaning Democratic Party of Korea, initially called for a review of the decision to install the system but has softened his objections in recent weeks.

If North Korea continues with its nuclear provocations and China fails to restrain it, Thaads deployment will be inevitable, Moon said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

His main rival, Ahn Cheol-soo, of the centrist Peoples Party, has supported deploying the missile system. Pence is not expected to meet with either candidate during his time on the peninsula.

China has taken retaliatory steps for South Koreas acceptance of the Thaad system, including ordering travel agencies to stop selling tour packages to the country and suspending the business licenses of four South Korean superstores operating within China over alleged safety violations.

After visiting South Korea, Pence heads to Japan, where hell continue his North Korea discussions and engage in trade talks. While there, hell tour the USS Ronald Reagan and deliver a speech to U.S. and Japanese service members.

Read more:
Trump Rattles Saber at North Korea as Pence Dispatched to Seoul - Bloomberg

Trump has picked Mike Pence, current Indiana governor, as his selection for vice president. A press conference will be held tomorrow to formally announce the decision. USA TODAY, Collin Brennan

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence joins Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Westfield, Ind., July 12, 2016.(Photo: AP)

Update, 11 a.m Friday: Donald Trump acknowledged via Twitter on Friday what the IndyStar confirmed Thursday: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence will be his running mate.

Earlier story:

Gov. Mike Pence is dropping his re-election bid in Indiana to become Donald Trumps running mate.

IndyStar confirmed shortly after noon ThursdaythatTrump is planning to announce Pence as hisselection for vice president. Several national news outlets, including CNN and ABC News,laterreported Trump had offered the post to Pence and he had accepted,ending a weekslongcasting call during which Trump vetted a handful of high-profile Republicans.

Trump had beenscheduledtoformallyannounce his pick at a news conferencein Manhattan at 11 a.m. Friday, but delayed the event in the wake of an attack in Nice, France, that leftmore than 70 people dead.

The delay could leavePence, who had already traveled to New York, in political limbo. Hefaces a noon Friday deadline to withdraw from the governor's race to allowIndiana Republican leaders to select a replacement candidate.

The developments capped another wild day in the vice presidential search, with Trump's campaign team insisting throughout the day that no decision had been made, even as Pence was beingwhisked toward Manhattan in a motorcade after flying on a private plane from Indianapolis toTeterboro, N.J.

In a Thursday evening interview with Fox News, Trump said he still hadn't made a "final, final" decision.It wasn't clear if those comments were meanttomaintain a sense of surprise for the plannedannouncement, but Republican strategists, including a former Trump adviser, have repeatedly emphasized Trump's unpredictability and noted anything is possible.

Trump's long-awaited decision upends the political landscape in Indiana and at least partially remakes the Trump campaign.

INDIANAPOLIS STAR

Trump's VP? 10 things to know about Indiana Gov. Mike Pence

In Pence, Trump addsa social conservative whom GOP strategists say will reassure rank-and-file Republicans that Trump can be trusted to pursue their interests. Veteran political observers say Pence, a former U.S. House member and chairman of the House Republican Conference, will provide a disciplined counter to Trumps improvisational campaign style. Pence also brings fundraising power and credibility on a wide range of policy issues that are important to conservatives.

Pence wouldofficially become the vice presidential nominee during the Republican National Convention, which starts July 18 in Cleveland. He could become the first vice president from Indiana since Dan Quayle took office in 1989 under George H.W. Bush.

Pences departure for national politics sets up a scramble among Indiana Republicans to determine who will replace Pence to run against Democratic challenger John Gregg in the November gubernatorial election.

For the first time in state history, the Indiana Republican State Committee will determine the GOP candidate for governor in a process that could last into August. The 22-member panel has 30 days to choose Pences replacement on the ballot.Once its clear who will be vying for the Republican nomination, the committee must provide a 10-day notice before it votes. That means, at the earliest, the process will conclude in late July.

Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb, who has not yet publicly said he will seek the office, is thought to be a front-runner. U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks of Carmel plans to withdraw from her congressional race and run for governor,said Murray Clark,a former state Republican Party chairman and a partner at the law firmFaegre Baker Daniels.U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita has said he plans to run.

First, though, Pence must file paperwork to withdraw his name from the ballot. While the deadline to dothat is noon Friday,Pence could withdraw, then ask the state's GOP central committee to renominate him if he doesn't get the vice presidential nomination.

Pence's elevation in the political world comes as he faced a tight race in Indiana.The most recent publicpoll, which was conducted in May, showed Pence leading Gregg 40 percent to 36 percent, a virtual tie when factoring in the 4 percent margin of error. Pence defeated Gregg in the 2012 race by 3 percentage points.

Pence, a vocal Trump supporter since he clinched the Republican nomination, will turn his attention toward helping the real estate mogul defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in November. Even without Pence, Trump has been closing the gap.A national CBS News/New York Times pollreleased this week showsClinton and Trump tied at 40 percentjust one month after Clinton had a 6 percentage point lead. Yet, projections based on state pollssuggest Clinton has anadvantage, albeit a diminishing one.

Trump appearedto have winnowed the field of potential running matesfrom about 10 people last week in a fashion that some have compared to a reality-TV show, complete with auditionlike campaign appearances.Aside from Pence, the other favorites were former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Pence essentially tried outfor the position during a Trump rally in Westfieldand a fundraiser in Indianapolison Tuesday. Pence, who has traditionally eschewed negative campaigning, used the rally to attackClinton for the loss of U.S. personnel in Benghazi, Libya, and compareTrump to Ronald Reagan.

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3 times Gov. Mike Pence distanced himself from Donald Trump

Speculation that Trump would pick Pence intensified afterTrump and his family unexpectedlydined with Pence and his wife at a swanky Downtown restaurant Tuesday night, then had breakfast at the governor's residence the next morning.

Call IndyStar reporter Tony Cook at (317) 444-6081. Follow him on Twitter:@indystartony.

Call IndyStar reporter James Briggs at (317) 444-6307. Follow him on Twitter: @JamesEBriggs.

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Strong faith shapes Mike Pence's politics

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Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is Donald Trump's VP pick

Vice President Mike Pences scheduled commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame has prompted a protest by senior students who say that Pence's presence on campus will make them "feel unsafe."

Students Immane Mondane and Jourdyhn Williams have started a #NotMyCommencementSpeaker campaign against Pence's May 21 address.

The campaign consists of students holding white boards featuring quotes from Pence that are "racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, offensive, or ostracizing" to members of the Notre Dame community.

For me personally, [Pence] represents the larger Trump administration, Mondane told the university's newspaper. His administration represents something, and for many people on our campus, it makes them feel unsafe to have someone who openly is offensive but also demeaning of their humanity and of their life and of their identity.

Williams argued that the selection of Pence as the universitys commencement speaker goes against the schools Catholic mission.

I feel that is offensive to such a large population here at Notre Dame, and I also believe it goes against certain Catholic Social Teaching, which is something the University likes to broadcast that it stands behind, but it picks and chooses when it wants to stand behind them, Williams said.

In addition to the #NotMyCommencementSpeaker campaign, a number of student groups have spoken out against the invitation of Pence, including the Diversity Council and the College Democrats, according to Campus Reform.

Watch the "Fox & Friends" report above.

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Some Notre Dame Students 'Feel Unsafe' With Pence as Commencement Speaker - Fox News Insider