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Intentions are Everything by Edna Nelson 2009-02-12 10:00:26 |
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Current President Obama has spoken in reverence about former President and signer of the Emancipation Proclamation Abraham Lincoln. For a man who is sometimes seen as the only promise of a positive future in the US, and an icon for black people around the world, Abraham Lincoln can look like a questionable fit for praise. Lincoln although generally accepted by the masses is much disputed among those who have researched him beyond the speeches, actions and attitudes he is well known for. During his lifetime Lincoln had made enough contrary statements to keep people arguing for what's now over a century after his death. Of those folks educated on Lincoln, there are people like President Obama who clearly consider him a stand-up guy, and others who see Lincoln as a dishonest, pushy, and over-represented historic politician.
One thing we can be sure about is that Lincoln was a President who accomplished the main goal of his presidency: defeating the south in defense of the union during the civil war. President Lincoln is commonly remembered for the abolition of slavery and for the most part the men and women who fought in the face of death for their freedom, and the white abolitionists who fought beside them, have been forgotten. Even though they were the true founders of the racial equality movement and a powerful force in the move towards the emancipation proclamation the stories of abolitionists have been lost in Lincoln's shadow. In this process not only have the identities of abolitionists been lost, but also their attitude of conscious and absolute resistance. Unfortunately the power of slaves who had escaped and actively opposed slavery is overcome by the idea of Lincoln as a great white liberator, ignoring that fact that he signed the Emancipation Proclamation as a politician, not an abolitionist.
President Lincoln had been mostly ambiguous and contradictory on racial issues and instead focused on the war. Abraham Lincoln's wide range of statements on the topic show clearly that his rhetoric around slavery was built on an intention to manipulate any given situation to his benefit In comparison to the critical condition of the country issues around the morality of slavery were unimportant to Lincoln on their own. His concerns around slavery are stated clearly in a letter to New York newspaper on August 22nd 1862 where he wrote: "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that." Later liberating the slaves would prove to be beneficial to the Union Army, so, the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
Understanding Lincoln as a politician can lead to a better understanding of what some people consider his second-coming: Barack Obama. The man, a big fan of Lincoln, has been elected to lead a country in conflict over essential financial and moral issues. The elite and the trickle-down economics are being posed against the masses and a hope for some kind of change, all the wars are up for a debate, and the earth is melting. Obama has addressed all class, race, gender, and environmental issues in his speeches, making minor adjustments in his manner of delivery in order to have the greatest affect on his audience. Like Lincoln, Obama is selecting the issues concerning his audience and framing them so that his attitudes appear favorable while at the same time emphasizing that his greater goals will be accomplished regardless.
Lincoln did whatever was needed in order to maintain the Union, all other issues were judged by their ability to serve or oppose this cause. In the present case the US is not compromised by a threat of states to succeed but by a legacy of mismanagement. The future of the US depends on its ability to restructure and regain its integrity. Obama ran for President because he thinks he is the man with the solution to these current and most pressing problems. He proposes an "Era of Responsibility" and speaks in an inclusive manner in order to get all Americans on board. As a politician Abraham Lincoln is a fantastic example of how to achieve ones most primary goals, so when assessing an admirer of his it is important to understand what "The Plan" is. During in his Inauguration speech Obama stated: "The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end." His ultimate goal is to create a better stronger US in his view that means one where workers are compensated fairly and people can retire, above everything the priority is to have a government that works.
Barack Obama will be known as the First African American President, and who knows what else, like Lincoln President Obama may be given credit for things he never intended to do, or undervalued for the things he was really focusing on. Under President Lincoln the US saw many changes that needed to happen, slavery was abolished and the industrial age was allowed to progress. The fact that Lincoln himself was not clear about race was shown in his refusal to condemn racists and slave owners outright, because of this the social consciousness of the nation was affected. Reconstruction was a disaster, the Ku Klux Klan became powerful, and segregation was created. By inviting known bigot Rick Warren to speak at his inauguration President Obama has shown a refusal to stand aggressively against the religious based bigotry, he may be following a little too closely in his idols footsteps and repeating the same dangerous mistake of implying social consciousness where there really is none. Hopefully he will benefit from doing something he never intended, and a happily married lesbian will write something like this about him 100 years after his death.
Abraham+Lincoln civil+war History USA |
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