The 12th of February

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When I was younger- and living in New York- today was always a holiday.  Our reverence for Abraham Lincoln meant that we missed school, we missed work, and we reflected on how he changed our nation.

Nowadays, we may be only a slight step away from another Civil War.  With about the same separation (albeit with a total of 50 and not just 34 states) that we had then.   Reminding us that our statesmen of old clearly outclassed the politicians of today.

A statesman is one who is skilled in the management of national or international affairs.  A politician who is immersed in politics.  Therein lies the difference.

Nowadays, we have folks who provide their allegiance to the Koch Brothers and their ALEC lobbying group, or to Grover Norquist and his idea that taxes should never be raised- even if the country’s welfare is at stake.

What we don’t have are elected officials who recognize the needs of this nation and determine their actions based upon those requirements.  As such, this nation is left in jeopardy- from our failing infrastructure to our military capabilities (which reflect more the desires of a local politician to bring jobs to his district or to provide the revenue to a local corporations), from our needs to provide for the common good of the nation instead of the desires of a few major agribusinesses to obtain checks to not grow foods or to provide extra profits for their efforts.

Today is the appropriate day to reflect upon what Abraham Lincoln provided this country.  To try to keep the various factions together, to provide for the common good, to abolishing the practice of slavery.

To help us dream that a country of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from this earth.

Amen.

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5 thoughts on “The 12th of February”

  1. Roy, what a complicated mess things are! We’ve been reading about Abraham Lincoln in our history studies, and I am impressed–yet again–with what a brave and integrity-filled man he was. Is it possible, in this age of bribes and pork and lobbying efforts and so forth, to have a man who puts the needs of his country above his desire for wealth and power, in office?
    Amy recently posted..February thunder snowstorm birthday!

    1. Oh, he had integrity- and also played politics. I don’t expect everyone (or anyone) to be perfect- it’s the balance on the ledger I want to see pointed in the right direction. And, I, would also like to see Lincoln regain his own holiday- and not be mixed into a President’s Day. Does anyone really want to extol Polk? Hoover? (I could add a few more, but since they are more recent, politics will come into play…)

    1. I think we have a few, Shawn. At one point in time, Senator McCain could be counted among them- he seem to have lost his way on his journey to become President. Ted Kennedy (A’H) was one. Sherrod Brown, Steny Hoyer, among others are still around. But a lot of them seem to have left us in the past quarter century…

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