President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address on Thursday Afternoon, November 19, 1863. Although the speech was brief by today's standards, it was long on substance, and we would venture to say that millions of school children were taught to recite at least key phrases of that address.
As we shudder at the horrors of what's happening in today's political landscape, we need to remember those words that Lincoln burned into this nation's heart. They were his answers to healing a very divided nation that was hemorrhaging life's very blood.
He reminded us that the United States of America is a country...of the people, by the people, and for the people.
It is definitely not supposed to be a country of the rich, nor is it supposed to be a country by the rich. And, contrary to recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings, it most definitely is not supposed to be a country for the rich. The Conservative majority on the high court ruled in favor of Citizens United, which completely derailed the train of democracy. The court essentially handed over our election process to the rich and mega-rich of America. The Koch Brothers, Adelson, and others are free to "purchase" the politicians who will best do their bidding.
The Conservative Movement has completely destroyed the heart of this nation that so many fought and died to preserve. It was a blatant act of destroying all competition by "buying" targeted elections.
Are we still a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people? I believe in our hearts and minds we are. It is just that the candidates that we know will represent us and not special interests are being outbid at nearly every turn.
Not even the high court, however, can tell us we must vote for the candidate with the most money. At least, we still do have that option. Our democracy is steadily being eroded and we seem too complacent to do anything about it.
Sad.
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