We surely do have much for which to be grateful (besides the much needed 3 day weekend). I hope you'll please take a moment to read through Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address, that we may never forget those who served their country and "gave the last full measure of devotion" for this, our great nation.
The Gettysburg Address
"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on 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. "
"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on 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:
Oh, you are your father's daughter! I loved that about him, too--that these snippets are more than just dead words. The fact that they have meaning to you gives them life. I reread them with renewed appreciation...thank you for sharing.
I can't wait til you come visit me, and I can take you to the place where they were spoken! I've never been much of a history buff, but our past (and how it shaped who we are) is much more real for me now that I have been where so much of it took place; one more thing I love about living in the East! =)
Helen was right. This was better than a DNA test! I love powerful, succinct language, and this piece is among the very best.
Wow! Those flowers! You Californians really know how to do flowers!
We attended baby Penny's blessing today. The Armell's came! We ate lunch with the Saint Anthony crowd, then went to Joseph's for photographs. As I had hoped, Akira and Molly - along with Matthew and Andrew - all got along well. We're looking forward to seeing you, Honey!
Dad
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