Today is President Lincoln's birthday.
Hated and mocked by much of the Nation when he took office, few would now argue he is one of our greatest Presidents... some put him at the top of the heap.
We used to think his birthday was important enough we celebrated by allowing our kids to stay home from school!
At Gettysburg, on ground soaked by the blood of 51,000 men, where, conservatively, 3,000 died, Lincoln was moved to speak these words:
..."It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Government of the people. Government by the people. Government FOR the people.
We needed to honor those dead by insuring our freedoms are not denied.
Government OF THE PEOPLE?
Government BY THE PEOPLE?
Murtha? Rangel? Dodd? Franks?
What the Hell went wrong?
1 comment:
The 16th and 17th Amendments for starters.
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