Abraham Lincoln was born 199 years ago, on Feb. 12, 1809. What would he say if he were alive today? Probably something like, “HELP! HELP! IT’S HOT IN HERE! I CAN’T BREATHE!” Sorry. I couldn’t resist.
I have a bit of hero worship with respect to Lincoln. I went so far as to name my first born son after him. (His first name is “Lincoln,” but his walking around nickname is “Cole”). His presence at the helm of the Union was, to put it mildly, fortuitous. He was a gifted politician and a deep thinker with a common touch who loved his country dearly. A buddy of mine who wasn’t an overly zealous student and went to a parochial school used to joke that, when he was stumped in a literature class, he could usually get through it by describing one figure or another as the book’s “Christ figure.” Well, Lincoln is America’s Christ figure. With extraordinary gifts and appealing humility, Mr. Lincoln saved the country from itself and was killed for his efforts.
I know that, upon close review, Lincoln had his warts like we all do. But history has dimmed the negatives and enhanced the positives, and I’m o.k. with that. After all, a boy needs his heroes. So far, I have Abraham Lincoln and my grandpa. I’m not prepared to go looking for faults in either one of them.
Happy birthday Mr. Lincoln!
Lincoln’s warts, both real and figurative, make him much more interesting. Those warts make it impossible for him to be a Christ figure. Your friend would have had try something else in my class.
A toast to Lincoln!
Also, knowledge of Lincoln’s flaws lets you be impressed by how nobly he fought against them.
Word up.
True. Being able to recignize one’s own faults and struggle against them is another mark of character. I think that our Founding Fathers did this much more than we do today. Jefferson, Washington, Adams and Franklin all seemed to have a capacity for introspection and tried to better themselves. Maybe it’s the constant media culture — I say as I sit at my computer with music in the background– or maybe it’s our inability to admit faults, lest we admit that we are less then perfect. We’d also have to take the blame and have to work on these faults. I’m not sure we’re good at that, rather preferring to blame others or circumstances.
BTW, has anyone thought about the parallels between Obama and Lincoln… strong party insider opponent from NY, man from Illinois–but a transplant, lawyer, served the common people, ability to move with his words, time of war, wrangling in the party to get the nomination….
Of course, he hasn’t had to defeat Stephen Douglass.
Yeah, Lincoln lost his bid to become an Illinois Senator. Of course, the Little Giant, Stephen Douglass was considerably more formidable than Alan Keyes.
The parallels between Obama and Lincoln are fun, but, as yet, mostly superficial.
Lincoln is also my fave pres. Goes back to my grandfather’s love for Lincoln, and my respect for my grandfather. Of course the fun part there was that his wife (my grandmother) was from the South and always said that the south stopped the war because they were “gentlemen.”
If you go to Linclon’s grave , there’s and interesting gravestone on the way into the cemetery. It is a statue of a man playing an accordian. While the guy was still alive he would bring his accordian to the cemetery and play for people by his future (and now current) grave.
Proposed and got engaged on Lincoln’s birthday.
Lincoln would be 200 next year yet he seems as close as yesterday. Abe was a conservative when he was referring to slavery he said something like “Any system that doesn’t let a man profit from his labor will fail.” He was a liberal when he issued paper money to finance the war.
I believe the Civil War was a clash of Thomas Jefferson’s and Alexander Hamilton’s concepts of government. Jefferson believed in state’s right and Hamilton was for a strong central government.
Lincoln was more like Hamilton. Both were successful lawyers and both were visionaries.
If God wanted to adopt a 2nd son he couldn’t do any better than Honest Abe.
Last year we visited Springfield and there is a new Lincoln Museum and Library that compliments the older village. A nice weekend get away.
Besides Springfield is on God’s time – Central.
Re: Obama & Lincoln, I always think of Lincoln whenever someone carps about Obama’s supposed lack of “experience” issue. Lincoln’s national political experience before becoming president = one term in the House of Representatives. I’m regurgitating an Obama talking point here but I’ll take wisdom over experience any day.
I’m halfway through Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals” which talks about Lincoln’s early political life and how after he got elected he put all of the men that he ran against in his cabinet. It’s been fascinating.
Glenn –
I might be inferring a point that’s not there – are you saying you believe Obama to be particularly wise?
If so, why do you think so? (Or are you just making the broader point, without reference to current actors on the stage?)
Parker–although Obama didn’t have to vote for or against giving authorization for the Iraq war, he did make a point beforehand of spelling out publicly exactly why he thought it was a bad idea. This misguided adventure is one of the biggest foreign policy debacles in U.S. history, at least in my opinion, so yes, I think he was very wise on a very important issue.