Tomorrow marks the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's great speech. Another great orator — President Barack Obama — could have followed in the footsteps of the man whose Emancipation Proclamation began the evolution of a nation that led to the election of Obama as the first African-American president.
Instead, the president has said he is too busy to attend.
This from a man who began his run for the presidency in Springfield, Ill., the very place where Lincoln announced his candidacy in 1860, and who twice swore an Oath of Office on Lincoln's Bible.
Past presidents have found the time to deliver addresses on the hallowed ground in Gettysburg. In all, 24 presidents have visited Gettysburg.
In 1938, on the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Eternal Light Peace Memorial in front of a massive audience of 250,000, including nearly 2,000 veterans of the Civil War, before heading back to Washington to deal with the Great Depression.
Yes, our nation's problems are many. But this is an opportunity to bask in the shadow of a man who gave hope to all Americans and who, through his personal determination, willed the Union to victory and kept this nation as one.
In his speech at Gettysburg last year, filmmaker Steven Spielberg said that one of the reasons he made the film "Lincoln," was "to bring Lincoln back from his sleep of one-and-a-half centuries even if only for two-and-a-half hours, and even if only in a cinematic dream."
By refusing to speak at Gettysburg, Obama is missing an opportunity to raise Lincoln's profile as the great unifier and emancipator.
Obama has made a number of political mistakes as president, but this may be his most symbolic misstep.
Obama Doesn’t Say “Under God” While Reciting Gettysburg Address
It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, 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.
It is unclear why President Obama chose that version, since the preferred version listed on Ken Burn’s website is the Bliss Copy. The Bliss copy does include the words “under God.” Every other celebrity and president who has given the address said the words “under God.” President Obama is the only individual to leave these words out.
Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/11/19/obama-refuses-to-say-under-god-while-reciting-gettysburg-address/ | The Shark Tank
more right wing hypocrisy. It is a choice guaranteed by our constitution, freedom of religion and to believe what and how we desire. If the president doesn't feel comfortable saying those words then let him leave them out. It's a constitutional right. Our constitution does not mention the word God, or Lord by design. Many of the framers and many of our past presidents were not really devote in their religion and some were not even believers. This included Lincoln who was not particularly religious by any stretch of the imagination. He did believe in a divine creator but not necessarily God some do. I myself do not say under God when I say the Pledge of Allegiance. Why because I don't believe in God, I don't believe in heaven nor do I believe in hell and it is my constitutional guarantee to believe how I want to. Does that make me less loyal to our country? No. Does that make me love this country less then you who say those words. No. Those words have no bearing on my feelings about my country nor does it change Barack Obama's love of this nation.
Jus sayin every other person asked to recite for the documentary quoted Lincoln verbatim.
Jus sayin, we learn more and more each day about our president and it's being reflected in the polls.
"Thirty-seven percent now approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing as president, down from 46 percent in October -- a nine point drop in just a month. Mr. Obama's disapproval rating is 57 percent -- the highest level for this president in CBS News Polls. " http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57613067/poll-obamacare-support-obama-approval-sink-to-new-lows/
ReplyDeleteTomorrow marks the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's great speech. Another great orator — President Barack Obama — could have followed in the footsteps of the man whose Emancipation Proclamation began the evolution of a nation that led to the election of Obama as the first African-American president.
Instead, the president has said he is too busy to attend.
This from a man who began his run for the presidency in Springfield, Ill., the very place where Lincoln announced his candidacy in 1860, and who twice swore an Oath of Office on Lincoln's Bible.
Past presidents have found the time to deliver addresses on the hallowed ground in Gettysburg. In all, 24 presidents have visited Gettysburg.
In 1938, on the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Eternal Light Peace Memorial in front of a massive audience of 250,000, including nearly 2,000 veterans of the Civil War, before heading back to Washington to deal with the Great Depression.
Yes, our nation's problems are many. But this is an opportunity to bask in the shadow of a man who gave hope to all Americans and who, through his personal determination, willed the Union to victory and kept this nation as one.
In his speech at Gettysburg last year, filmmaker Steven Spielberg said that one of the reasons he made the film "Lincoln," was "to bring Lincoln back from his sleep of one-and-a-half centuries even if only for two-and-a-half hours, and even if only in a cinematic dream."
By refusing to speak at Gettysburg, Obama is missing an opportunity to raise Lincoln's profile as the great unifier and emancipator.
Obama has made a number of political mistakes as president, but this may be his most symbolic misstep.
He should be there.
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/919423_Obama-ignores-historic-opportunity-at-Gettysburg.html
Obama Doesn’t Say “Under God” While Reciting Gettysburg Address
ReplyDeleteIt is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, 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.
It is unclear why President Obama chose that version, since the preferred version listed on Ken Burn’s website is the Bliss Copy. The Bliss copy does include the words “under God.” Every other celebrity and president who has given the address said the words “under God.” President Obama is the only individual to leave these words out.
Read more at: http://shark-tank.net/2013/11/19/obama-refuses-to-say-under-god-while-reciting-gettysburg-address/ | The Shark Tank
We learn more and more each passing day about what an ideological zealot our current president is.
ReplyDelete1773-2009
more right wing hypocrisy. It is a choice guaranteed by our constitution, freedom of religion and to believe what and how we desire. If the president doesn't feel comfortable saying those words then let him leave them out. It's a constitutional right. Our constitution does not mention the word God, or Lord by design. Many of the framers and many of our past presidents were not really devote in their religion and some were not even believers. This included Lincoln who was not particularly religious by any stretch of the imagination. He did believe in a divine creator but not necessarily God some do. I myself do not say under God when I say the Pledge of Allegiance. Why because I don't believe in God, I don't believe in heaven nor do I believe in hell and it is my constitutional guarantee to believe how I want to. Does that make me less loyal to our country? No. Does that make me love this country less then you who say those words. No. Those words have no bearing on my feelings about my country nor does it change Barack Obama's love of this nation.
ReplyDeleteJus sayin every other person asked to recite for the documentary quoted Lincoln verbatim.
DeleteJus sayin, we learn more and more each day about our president and it's being reflected in the polls.
"Thirty-seven percent now approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing as president, down from 46 percent in October -- a nine point drop in just a month. Mr. Obama's disapproval rating is 57 percent -- the highest level for this president in CBS News Polls. "
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57613067/poll-obamacare-support-obama-approval-sink-to-new-lows/
rick......You had better start believing in hell,your President has this country heading in that direction.
Delete