Steps to Clean Hands
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Reread this portion of the excerpted text from common sense. men of passive tempers look somewhat lightly over the offenses of britain, and, still hoping for the best, are apt to call out, come, we shall be friends again for all this. but examine the passions and feelings of mankind. bring the doctrine of reconciliation to the touchstone of nature, and then tell me, whether you can hereafter love, honor, and faithfully serve the power that hath carried fire and sword into your land? if you cannot do all these, then are you only deceiving yourselves, and by your delay bringing ruin upon posterity. your future connection with britain, whom you can neither love nor honor, will be forced and unnatural, and being formed only on the plan of present convenience, will in a little time fall into a relapse more wretched than the first. what key concept about the relationship between an abusive government and its citizens does paine want readers to understand? use evidence from the text to support your response. your response should be one to two complete paragraphs.