There were superficial reasons—when he thundered on the political scene at the Democratic Convention in 2004 and then rode on the wave of that thunder to his election in 2008—to compare Barack Obama with Abraham Lincoln. There was the Illinois connection, for instance, and the gifted orator connection, and the “new birth of freedom” connection. Add to these the evident high esteem, even reverence, held by Obama for that towering mentor of his spirit, and it is easy to link the two of them. But what about things deeper than the surface?
A sobering intimation arose in me, in the wake of the euphoria following Obama’s election, that if the similarities between him and Lincoln did, in fact, go deeper, then it would most clearly be revealed if adversity, not smooth sailing, is what he would meet, if failure, not success, is what he would have to deal with. For it was the manner in which Lincoln met adversity and failure which taught us the most.
It is safe to say, six years later, that adversity indeed is what Obama has faced, along with the failure to achieve much that he had hoped to achieve. We now know with dismaying clarity how white-hot is the determination of a sizable minority that this President utterly fail, that his major healthcare achievement be gutted and that his every new proposal be obstructed.
The point here is not to argue politics and policies. The point is to bring the memory of Abraham Lincoln to bear on the present presidency, to see what it might tell us about the character of Barack Obama.
If anyone knew adversity from the beginning of his presidency, it was Abraham Lincoln. Even before he took office, seven Deep South states had seceded because he had been elected. Though he would not, because constitutionally he could not, touch slavery where it already existed, he made it clear, as did the Republican platform he ran on, that he would do everything in his power to prevent its extension. And then on the very day he was sworn in, he received a telegram about the crisis brewing at Ft. Sumter in Charleston Harbor that could inaugurate civil war. Adversity from the start, and few, if any, pleased.
Listen to Frederick Douglass, himself one of Lincoln’s harshest early critics:
“Reproaches came thick and thin upon him from within and from without, and from opposite quarters. He was assailed by abolitionists; he was assailed by slaveholders...Viewed from the genuine abolition ground, Mr. Lincoln seemed tardy, cold, dull, and indifferent; but measuring him by the sentiment of his country, a sentiment he was bound as a statesman to consult, he was swift, zealous, radical, and determined.”
Another of his early critics from the Left, Harriet Beecher Stowe, at first lamented Lincoln’s tardiness, coldness, dullness and indifference, but over time came to see deeper.
“Lincoln is a strong man, but his strength is of a peculiar kind...It is the strength not so much of a stone buttress as of a wire cable. It is a strength swaying to every influence, yielding on this side and on that to popular needs, yet tenaciously and inflexibly bound to carry its great end.”
Fast forward to Barack Obama. While his most vituperative critics are on the Right, the Left has hardly been kind to him when he has compromised on so much, delayed acting on so much, seemingly vacillated on so much. Assailed from both sides certainly fits, as does wire cable, swaying and yielding this way and that, yet tenaciously holding to the great end of a more just and compassionate nation.
But we haven’t yet touched what to me is the biggest thing, the thing that reveals character at its deepest. Breadth of vision and strength of will are indeed essential, but so too are capacity for empathy and kindness of heart. We go back to Abraham Lincoln for perhaps the purest expression.
“With malice toward none, with charity for all...What I deal with is too vast for malicious dealing...As I have not felt, so I have not expressed any harsh sentiment towards our southern brethren. I have constantly declared, as I really believed, the only difference between them and us, is the difference of circumstances. I have meant to assail the motives of no party, or individual; and if I have, in any instance (of which I am not conscious) departed from my purpose, I regret it.”
He didn’t just talk it, he lived it. No wonder Abraham Lincoln is loved by so many.
And no wonder many of us still stand back amazed at Barack Obama, yes, partially for his vision that our country must return to being of the people and not of the corporations, and yes, partially for what he has managed to achieve despite entrenched opposition, but equally for how he is responding to his failures, for how he is not responding in malice to the unrelenting disparagement heaped upon him. Will he continue to live according to the values which Lincoln not only espoused but lived? We of course don’t know, as disillusionment has been known to spring like a brigand from the bush. But if six years of testing have not found Obama wanting, if he has neither returned rancor for rancor nor stopped tenaciously fighting for what he believes, we may have here, I submit to your consideration, the real McCoy, meaning a worthy carrier of the spirit of Abraham Lincoln.
Even though Maya Angelou addressed the following to her sisters, may each of us, in her or his heart, hear the exhortation from this phenomenal woman, who has just left us but whose spirit will never leave us, never to disown either our sweetness or our steel.
“Women should be tough, tender, laugh as much as possible, and live long lives. The struggle for equality continues unabated, and the woman warrior who is armed with wit and courage will be among the first to celebrate victory...You keep your sweetness always but inside that sweetness is a ball of steel.”
May your brothers as well as sisters be listening, Maya. May Barack Obama be listening. May each citizen not only of America but of Earth be listening for the sake of the only family. In our darker moments may we neither give up nor lash out. May we hold to sweetness without relinquishing the wire cable, the steel ball. May we listen to Abraham Lincoln from the wings urging us to allow ourselves once again to be touched by the better angels of our nature.
Your comment was posted successfully! Thank you!
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fortnite-v-bucks-codes-free-list-2024-daily-redeem-code-5pkne
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-v-bucks-codes-april-2024-fortnite-epic-game-player-iptme
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-v-bucks-code-unused-list-2024-vbucks-emotes-outfits-c9rwe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/get-vbucks-fortnite-v-bucks-generator-2024-working-updated-pwi3e
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/freefortnite-v-bucks-generator-april-10-2024-apsao-exodus-esportss-gapfe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/epic-games-free-robux-generator-2024-free-robux-new-codes-daily-cjwre
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-robux-methods-updated-all-ways-get-without-paying-pockemon-sxebe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-robux-generator-tools-2024-every-players-can-get-april-update-gi3se
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/working-free-roblox-robux-codes-generator-2024-tool-pockemon-bmexe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/epic-games-free-robux-generator-2024-free-robux-new-codes-daily-v1sue
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-human-de3ae
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10000-free-tiktok-followers-generator-2024-get-free-likes-pegie
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-get-1k-followers-tiktok-5-minutes-mario-kart-8-zbsre
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-get-1000-followers-tiktok-24-hours-free-mario-kart-8-ylzie
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/50000-free-tiktok-followers-generator-2024-get-free-likes-ephne
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/get-vbucks-fortnite-v-bucks-generator-2024-working-updated-jezue
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/true-offers-free-fortnite-v-bucks-codes-generator-2024-verification-kxgie
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-v-bucks-code-unused-list-2024-vbucks-emotes-outfits-jdhhe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/guides-free-v-bucks-codes-march-2024-get-2800-vbucks-one-dehpe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-fortnite-v-bucks-generator-get-epic-games-collect-codes-q0kqe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-v-bucks-generator-tool-2024-survey-tg7h-exodus-esportss-tls1e
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unveiling-ultimatefortnite-v-bucks-code-generator-2024-jwgre
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-v-bucks-generator-tool-2024-survey-tg7h-exodus-esportss-qzsje
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-updated-free-fortnite-v-bucks-generator-working-2024-ndlne
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-fortnite-v-bucks-generator-redeem-full-codes-list-cs2be
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/updated-free-fortnite-skins-generator-2024-mario-kart-8-pu8ae
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unused-codes-free-v-bucks-generator-2024-fortnite-new-method-cafof
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fortnite-free-100-working-v-bucks-generator-2024-get-vbucks-mwx5f
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unused-codes-free-v-bucks-generator-2024-fortnite-new-method-rhj8f
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-edition-get-unused-v-bucks-code-generator-2024-fortnite-djrtf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/code-1000-v-bucks-instant-fortnite-game-items-mario-kart-8-0ktcf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fortnite-v-bucks-codes-2024-dont-miss-out-get-13500-free-hbprf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fortnite-v-bucks-codes-2024-dont-miss-out-get-13500-free-idfwf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-v-bucks-gift-card-epic-games-store-giveaway-limited-1jfcf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fortnite-free-v-bucks-codes-full-list-2024-limited-code-easy-xmkvf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/69000-free-tiktok-followers-generator-2024-get-free-likes-osrlf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-human-je4jf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/get-10k-100k-free-tiktok-follower-generator-2024-2025-latest-8hgef
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/67821-free-tiktok-followers-generator-2024-get-free-likes-sy5sf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-human-ssbzf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-ql24e
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-75aae
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-human-vmjbe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-v9yfe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-v6vbe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-human-xzeze
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/get-1k-100k-free-tiktok-follower-generator-2024-2025-latest-j2yie
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/get-5k-200k-free-tiktok-follower-generator-2024-2025-latest-66cge
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/get-1k-250k-free-tiktok-follower-generator-2024-2025-latest-glpxe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/get-100k-free-tiktok-follower-generator-2024-2025-latest-update-kvyhe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-edition-get-unused-v-bucks-code-generator-2024-fortnite-1joce
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-v-bucks-code-links-2024-daily-unused-codes-redeem-fortnite-l9fue
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-v-bucks-codes-april-2024-fortnite-epic-game-player-can-fwcke
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/newverson-v-bucks-codes-february-2024-fortnite-epic-game-rhire
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fortnite-v-bucks-codes-free-list-april-2024-daily-redeem-fly5e
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-human-k6ope
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-human-4gvwe
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-human-axjte
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-human-g855e
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-tiktok-followers-likes-generator-new-method-2024-2025-fokee
https://movie24h.info/
https://movie24h.info/contact
https://movie24h.info/huayThai
https://medium.com/trenoiye/ซื้อหวยออนไลน์เว็บไหนดี-10-เชื่อถือได้-จ่ายจริง-รวมเว็บหวยออนไลน์-0861729ff258 https://medium.com/trenoiye/หวยออนไลน์-เว็บแทงหวย-24-ชม-เว็บตรง-ไม่อั้น-หวยไทย-หวยลาว-bbe345b22fcb
https://medium.com/gimiidadii/แนะนำ-10-เว็บแทงหวยออนไลน์-ที่ดีที่สุด-ได้แก่-77lotto-huay-ork-ufalotto-powerball-lotto-net-1a7c8c97d756 https://medium.com/gimiidadii/ซื้อหวยออนไลน์เว็บไหนดี-10-เชื่อถือได้-จ่ายจริง-รวมเว็บหวยออนไลน์-f945cb29c5e3
https://medium.com/gimiidadii/หวยออนไลน์-เว็บหวยออนไลน์-แทงหวย24-ไม่มีเลขอั้น-หวยไทย-หวยลาว-44ba32159cf9 https://medium.com/naafessaa/หวยออนไลน์-เว็บแทงหวย-24-ชม-เว็บตรง-ไม่อั้น-หวยไทย-หวยลาว-ac7a417cd69a
https://medium.com/naafessaa/ซื้อหวยออนไลน์เว็บไหนดี-10-เชื่อถือได้-จ่ายจริง-รวมเว็บหวยออนไลน์-93a833aaeead https://medium.com/naafessaa/️-️แทงหวยออนไลน์-24-ชั่วโมงแทงหวย24-เว็บแทงหวยยอดนิยม-ครบจบทุกหวยออนไลน์ง่ายๆ-acdc9c656847
https://medium.com/qavviikhan/แทงหวย24-เว็บแทงหวยออนไลน์อันดับหนึ่ง-ซื้อหวยออนไลน์เว็บไหนดี-10-เชื่อถือได้-จ่ายจริง-895b0f709624 https://medium.com/qavviikhan/ซื้อหวยออนไลน์เว็บไหนดี-10-เชื่อถือได้-จ่ายจริง-รวมเว็บหวยออนไลน์-68fc296d571d
https://medium.com/qavviikhan/แทงหวยออนไลน์-24-ชั่วโมง-หวยออนไลน์-ซื้อง่าย-เว็บแทงหวย-ตรวจหวยฟรี-24-ชม-cc0461e8c431 https://medium.com/shaniiibhi/หวยออนไลน์-ซื้อง่าย-เว็บแทงหวย-ตรวจหวยฟรี-24-ชม-b96efd2e8e51
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100095902
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100507938
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100046877
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100500844
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100046874
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100554424
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100092663
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100500115
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100552939
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100571466
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100504728
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100504743
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100501760
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100505951
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100024258
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100555503
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100505638
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100504172
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100507264
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100558553
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100087986
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100554670
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100084138
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100024848
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100576537
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100092839
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100570738
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100574037
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100042849
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100500653
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100575501
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100575126
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100083646
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100080234
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100500615
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100092887
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100556676
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100554014
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100501359
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100092762
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100554026
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100085574
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100503040
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100024806
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100503046
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100555880
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100088447
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100550766
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100040843
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100573412
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100040881
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100551547
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100088720
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100562083
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100576011
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100572404
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100572195
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100572193
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100045108
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100089252
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100089048
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100532034
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100564641
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100526198
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100576557
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100565037
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100510673
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100579529
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100559592
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100570610
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100570664
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100550304
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100557302
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100579596
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100096664
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100558907
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100557313
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100578324
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100578345
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100510693
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100088335
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100529246
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100532164
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100564292
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100552294
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100573545
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100574864
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100552196
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100096230
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100575930
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100570295
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100512647
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100557635
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100532374
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100510957
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100527498
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100527485
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100579118
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100520899
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls4100579138
https://onlinegdb.com/WHiDb1rOO
https://player.soundon.fm/p/3d817656-b9bb-4f14-87bf-e58269e90dd1
https://player.soundon.fm/p/3d817656-b9bb-4f14-87bf-e58269e90dd1/episodes/bbf86bf3-6bb4-4267-8457-094f64a9188c
https://sndn.link/sheisthephoenixs1/C60GIN
https://player.soundon.fm/p/03051d58-0a77-4cac-a0ad-a22da3908348/episodes/876d04f6-8263-411a-9b3a-510002da9d1f
https://player.soundon.fm/p/03051d58-0a77-4cac-a0ad-a22da3908348
https://player.soundon.fm/p/0067d170-67e3-4088-97cd-3c8d3b8bccb8
https://player.soundon.fm/p/0067d170-67e3-4088-97cd-3c8d3b8bccb8/episodes/608c4bda-7d64-4c6f-82c5-0e86addc401e
https://sndn.link/GuiltyMaid/OpXHmX
https://player.soundon.fm/p/89b97735-5796-40a9-8b5d-3ca662891ba0/episodes/97827aaa-f9df-455a-bbfe-d4d7aea96f64
https://player.soundon.fm/p/39f440bd-2f9d-454b-9612-f3141d28d048/
https://player.soundon.fm/p/39f440bd-2f9d-454b-9612-f3141d28d048/episodes/9049b183-5526-434d-9473-d017161ec9d8
https://player.soundon.fm/p/d71cb246-eff7-4720-a9e6-02759c50b33b/
https://sndn.link/MuYilinsPearl/VJ59nc
https://player.soundon.fm/p/d71cb246-eff7-4720-a9e6-02759c50b33b/episodes/1e2c3d45-e37e-4c08-9c96-d05739c117c1
https://sndn.link/BetterLatethanSingle/7DNy49
https://player.soundon.fm/p/d4ff8baf-9905-4d8e-849b-17d4064345f0/episodes/1fd4b8ec-8927-408b-8591-ef3d3396a2ed
https://sndn.link/YourSunshine/cJYIIN
https://player.soundon.fm/p/27b6bb33-36f1-4f92-b94c-df2bcc3337a8
https://player.soundon.fm/p/27b6bb33-36f1-4f92-b94c-df2bcc3337a8/episodes/5fb2c239-206f-4b6f-bfe9-aeca03597b8e
https://www.deviantart.com/baan-seriestv/art/1222151014
https://id.carousell.com/p/https-player-soundon-fm-p-27b6bb33-36f1-4f92-b94c-df2bcc3337a8-1382713496/
https://thangs.com/designer/onrushin/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/verhuellen/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/procedions/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/naitouga/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/mobocrat/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/tetuta/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/coagulon/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/vergngar/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/dhobi/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/ersatzlosung/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/sandome/collection
https://thangs.com/designer/polizist/collection
https://www.paiklangna.com
https://diamondlnwpg168.com
https://diamondlnwpg168.com/บทความ
https://diamondlnwpg168.com/pgslot-no-1
https://diamondlnwpg168.com/contact
https://github.com/EllanJiang/GameFramework/issues/76