Lincoln
The Wisdom of the 16th President9 total reviews
Comment from the13thpoet
Hello Marisa3. I enjoyed this essay on honest Abe. Though I did enjoy reading this, what stood out the most to me was in your comments:
I agree with all this 110%. Great perspective and great job!
If we want to get an honest perspective on the history of our nation, then we need to remove the rose-colored glasses and understand that the founders were complex individuals who, brilliant though they may have been, were still products of their time.
My concern over all of this is that we have not learned any lessons from our past, so we are doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes time and again. The only way forward for us as a nation is to come to terms with and accept our diversity. The truth is, no one race is superior to another. Those that stubbornly cling to this idea are only deluding themselves.
reply by the author on 09-Aug-2019
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Hello Marisa3. I enjoyed this essay on honest Abe. Though I did enjoy reading this, what stood out the most to me was in your comments:
I agree with all this 110%. Great perspective and great job!
If we want to get an honest perspective on the history of our nation, then we need to remove the rose-colored glasses and understand that the founders were complex individuals who, brilliant though they may have been, were still products of their time.
My concern over all of this is that we have not learned any lessons from our past, so we are doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes time and again. The only way forward for us as a nation is to come to terms with and accept our diversity. The truth is, no one race is superior to another. Those that stubbornly cling to this idea are only deluding themselves.
Comment Written 07-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 09-Aug-2019
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Thanks so much for your supportive words and for taking time to review this piece. I greatly appreciate both.
Comment from Jerome Goldberg
Bravo! Bravo! "Sock it to Em!" Generally everything that I read on this site is basically entertainment. But this was educational and made some outstanding points. When is the voting on this? I want to vote!
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2019
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Bravo! Bravo! "Sock it to Em!" Generally everything that I read on this site is basically entertainment. But this was educational and made some outstanding points. When is the voting on this? I want to vote!
Comment Written 04-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 05-Aug-2019
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Jerome,
Thank you so much for your review and generous rate, I greatly appreciate both.
This is a non-fiction contest and it closes tomorrow I believe.
I usually don?t fair well with my political pieces in these types of contests, given the rather extreme conservative tenor of those on this site. However, that doesn?t discourage me from writing what I feel strongly about.
Again, thank you for your supportive word.
Comment from Gail Denham
You make some strong historical comments in your essay - and it's good to look at them. Lincoln was perhaps not so much against slavery at first is what I 've heard. As for Reagan and Nixon - I do wonder if their opinions ever changed - and I do not believe President Trump is racist - he is often misunderstood and mis-quoted, - and I do support him. Perhaps he does not do enough to equalize the races - but he tries. and facts are that more African Americans and Latins also voted for him -
Well, this could turn into a political debate - but it shouldn't - we should always be open to learn from past mistakes - and there have been many, many.
Good job researching history.
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2019
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You make some strong historical comments in your essay - and it's good to look at them. Lincoln was perhaps not so much against slavery at first is what I 've heard. As for Reagan and Nixon - I do wonder if their opinions ever changed - and I do not believe President Trump is racist - he is often misunderstood and mis-quoted, - and I do support him. Perhaps he does not do enough to equalize the races - but he tries. and facts are that more African Americans and Latins also voted for him -
Well, this could turn into a political debate - but it shouldn't - we should always be open to learn from past mistakes - and there have been many, many.
Good job researching history.
Comment Written 04-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2019
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Well, you certainly have every right to support whomever you please. However, where Trump is concerned, we will just have to agree to disagree.
Thank you for taking the time to review this piece.
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I have some wonderful close friends with whom I agree to disagree- that's what makes our country - democracy - great I think.
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I can certainly agree with you on that point.
Comment from shaffer40
Great essay. When you say of Lincoln, "he rose to the challenges of the time" I think of LBJ, whom I believe was probably a racist in his heart of hearts, but he rose to the challenge of the times and pushed through the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Trump doesn't even pretend to have a moral compass. BTW, I think, from what I've read, that Truman was the civil rights president, and had his life spanned at a later time, he would have done much and been sincere about it. Anyway, this opinion piece would do well in a prestigious magazine.
I noticed a couple little things:
I will end this piece with some very frightening words from one who sold
the German people a bill of good
Suggest omit "very." It weakens the image
Also, I think you meant to say bill of goods--plural
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2019
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Great essay. When you say of Lincoln, "he rose to the challenges of the time" I think of LBJ, whom I believe was probably a racist in his heart of hearts, but he rose to the challenge of the times and pushed through the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Trump doesn't even pretend to have a moral compass. BTW, I think, from what I've read, that Truman was the civil rights president, and had his life spanned at a later time, he would have done much and been sincere about it. Anyway, this opinion piece would do well in a prestigious magazine.
I noticed a couple little things:
I will end this piece with some very frightening words from one who sold
the German people a bill of good
Suggest omit "very." It weakens the image
Also, I think you meant to say bill of goods--plural
Comment Written 03-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2019
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You are spot on about LBJ. He was first and foremost a politician and he knew that the civil rights movement was a force whose time had come. I have read a great deal about LBJ and other presidents as well. They make for fascinating character studies. They are complex individuals with many facets to their personalities. I find it interesting to get behind their public personas and to see how they functioned and what views they held in general.
I so enjoyed your review of this piece. Also, thank you for bringing the catches to my attention. I will correct then forthwith.
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I'm so glad you liked the review. Thanks for your response.
Comment from Rikki66
I see the Lincoln conversation with the two men was in Steven Spillsbergs Lincoln, was this factual or artistic license? I find it quite ironic that when people attack this president they rely upon Adolph Hitler.
Rikki:)
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2019
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I see the Lincoln conversation with the two men was in Steven Spillsbergs Lincoln, was this factual or artistic license? I find it quite ironic that when people attack this president they rely upon Adolph Hitler.
Rikki:)
Comment Written 03-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2019
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The conversation is factual. Lincoln was a proponent of Euclid's Elements. The logic of the mathematics appealed to him. He embraced Euclid's proposal that definitions were at the foundation of knowledge, and led to self-evident axioms that needed no proof. Lincoln used Euclid in the 1858 debates with Douglas. Douglas argued that slavery was a sovereign right, to be decided by the people of each state. Lincoln disagreed: The notion of popular sovereignty should not include slavery. He challenged Douglas to construct a logically sound argument to support his case. "If Judge Douglas will demonstrate somehow that this is popular sovereignty - the right of one man to make a slave of another, without any right in that other, or anyone else to object - demonstrate it as Euclid demonstrated propositions, there is no objection."
As for the quote I used to close my piece, it was not to draw a comparison between Hitler and Trump. I used it to further support what can transpire in a developed country governed by the rule of law when nationalism takes root. When extreme ideology overrules logic.
thanks for the read.
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You are welcome.
Rikki:)
Comment from juliaSjames
I applaud you for writing this fearless, closely argued and eloquent essay. It is topical in the frightening times in which we live.
I believe you were kind in your treatment of both Lincoln and the founding fathers. The social and intellectual movement in favour of abolition was already in progress in the Old World.
Small spag
"... who, while brilliant though they may have been ..."
Delete "while"
Congratulations on your write. Best wishes for success in the contest.
Blessings Julia
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2019
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I applaud you for writing this fearless, closely argued and eloquent essay. It is topical in the frightening times in which we live.
I believe you were kind in your treatment of both Lincoln and the founding fathers. The social and intellectual movement in favour of abolition was already in progress in the Old World.
Small spag
"... who, while brilliant though they may have been ..."
Delete "while"
Congratulations on your write. Best wishes for success in the contest.
Blessings Julia
Comment Written 03-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2019
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Thank you for your review of this piece and your generous rating.
History does provide us with more than a little irony. The establishment of America was an extraordinary experiment which was predicated on the principle of individual freedom. However, when it came down to putting words into actions, as a nation, we fell short of those proposed ideals. Even today we still have a long way to go to live up to the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty.
Currently, we have taken a giant step backwards and this administration is nothing short of an abomination. I do hope reason and sanity takes hold soon.
Thanks again for the read and the spag catch. I have already made the correction
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You're welcome. Freedom has been on my mind lately.
Julia
Comment from royowen
I was aware of these founding fathers owning slaves, I thought it odd, but in reality emancipation still hasn't happened in the US, yet it is in Britain for instance, figuratively and legislatively, (although prejudice still lurks in hearts) also here to a large degree, your constitutional authority does, but not in practice. Pragmatism is still within the heart of the electorate, and politicians know this, that's why political cynicism is so unfair. We deserve dishonesty! Human..we are odd creatures, well done, thank you for this great article. You struggle long for justice, like I.! We'll done, blessings, Roy
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2019
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I was aware of these founding fathers owning slaves, I thought it odd, but in reality emancipation still hasn't happened in the US, yet it is in Britain for instance, figuratively and legislatively, (although prejudice still lurks in hearts) also here to a large degree, your constitutional authority does, but not in practice. Pragmatism is still within the heart of the electorate, and politicians know this, that's why political cynicism is so unfair. We deserve dishonesty! Human..we are odd creatures, well done, thank you for this great article. You struggle long for justice, like I.! We'll done, blessings, Roy
Comment Written 03-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 04-Aug-2019
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Thanks so much for your insightful review, Roy. I heartily agree with you on all points.
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Well done
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Welcome
Comment from Jean Lutz
An excellent opinion piece that spans current culture and ancient as well. Slavery can come in many ways. Maybe bondage of the soul is the worst. Keep using your pen to tell it like it is. Best wishes with your entry.
reply by the author on 03-Aug-2019
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An excellent opinion piece that spans current culture and ancient as well. Slavery can come in many ways. Maybe bondage of the soul is the worst. Keep using your pen to tell it like it is. Best wishes with your entry.
Comment Written 03-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 03-Aug-2019
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Thanks so much. I greatly appreciate your words.
Comment from Mystic Angel 7777
This particular story is a ten minute scene in the movie "Lincoln" and you recap it well. You meet the contest requirements nicely by relating historical information accurately. Good luck in the judging and thank you very much for sharing it.
reply by the author on 03-Aug-2019
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This particular story is a ten minute scene in the movie "Lincoln" and you recap it well. You meet the contest requirements nicely by relating historical information accurately. Good luck in the judging and thank you very much for sharing it.
Comment Written 03-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 03-Aug-2019
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Thank you. I appreciate your thoughts.
