Thoughts On Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
Powerful Impact
Right off the bat, Abraham Lincoln is letting us know exactly what he believes and where he stands. He’s telling us that this great nation was originally formed with the idea of liberty and equality among men in mind. President Lincoln was a man of great integrity and passion. His words moved most people of his time and still, to this day, move most us when we read his words. Yet, right now--as I type this, racism and inequality still exist. There’s still a subliminal civil war going on--but it’s not as cut-and-dry as North versus South. This prejudice hovers just above and slinks just below. We hardly notice it and like the first round of an alarm clock--we simply hit the snooze button, preventing the inevitable.
Wake Up!
The only thing that can destroy mankind is man not being kind. Yes, I just made that up. I’m listening to instrumental jazz and drinking Pinot Noir right now and it just came to me. I have two young children who are peacefully sleeping in their beds, yet I fear for their future. How do I combat that fear? I dedicate my energy to teaching my children to be self-sufficient, thoughtful, generous, sensitive, strong individuals. Not very easy--but I shall never give up. It’s not in my nature to give up. I’ve always been a fighter. Many people gave their lives for this country and I do not take that lightly. There is so much blood in the dirt that it makes me sad. It drags me down, and when I get to that point where everything is just about to fall apart, I refocus my mind and get back on track.
Why are we still celebrating and reading this speech 150 years later? Because Lincoln spoke the truth about human nature and that human-truth lasts forever. There’s no new theory or alternate truth. What Lincoln said 150 years ago still rings true today and will forever ring true for as long as human civilization continues to exist. Man’s inhumanity to man has...