Thursday, February 11, 2010

Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln

I'm not ready to be back blogging yet, my brain isn't able to form complete sentences, but I can't let this day go by without honoring one of America's greatest men.
Here, in its entirety is the Gettysburg Address. One of the greatest speeches in history, it should be read by every citizen. I had to memorize it in the eighth grade-not a bad idea at all.

The Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863
by Abraham Lincoln

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war. . .testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated. . . can long endure.
We are met on a great battlefield of that war.

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. . .we cannot consecrate. . . we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
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.

2 comments:

Rick Carpenter said...

My favorite quote from Abraham Lincoln is, "Those who are willing to die for their country are fit to live." Isn't it appalling that Barack Obama would dare compare himself to a real American like Lincoln.

Bonita said...

I LOVE the gettysburg address!! It is so simple and beautiful.

Hang in there..been praying for you...

Love ya!