Illustration: Criticism

Thomas Paine was the fiery writer who ignited the American Revolution with his book Common Sense. Late in life, he felt he was betrayed by an old friend. So he wrote a letter to that friend saying, "As to you sir, treacherous in private friendship (for so you have been to me, and in that day of danger) and a hypocrite in public life, the world will be puzzled to decide whether you are an apostate or an imposter; whether you have abandoned good principles, or whether you ever had any." Who was it that was on the receiving end of Paine's venomous anger? It was none other than George Washington. It is true that all leaders will be criticized.