Archive for the 'Abe Lincoln' Category

“We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word many mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men’s labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name — liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names — liberty and tyranny.”

-Abraham Lincoln
Baltimore, MD,1864

I have no doubt that this was meant to describe the slave owner who wanted to be free himself but didn’t want to release the means of his economic product, the slave, in the context of Lincoln’s 1864.

But lets look at this same quote today. What has changed? Instead of a slave owner, we have those who would come in and enjoy the fruits of our labors, whether directly or taking them on behalf of a constituency in exchange for their votes. Am I a slave? Not in the shackles, whips and cotton fields of the south sense, no. But we are going down the road when freedom and liberty will be exchanged for the expensive illusion of temporary security, at the threat of the gun and imprisonment.

Liberty and Tyranny.

Two different and incompatible names indeed.

On a surprising note, it seems our countrymen in California are about fed up with the Democrats and Republicans Democrat-Lite™ bankrupting their state and their lazy attempts to just raise taxes exponentially. Too bad it took teetering on complete collapse for them to pull their heads out of the cranial-rectal inversion they’ve had for way too long. Hopefully the rest of America realizes it soon as well before Spendy McHopenChangeitude finishes us off.

I had no idea that these two historical figures were born on the same day, February 12th, 1809. One in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky, and the other into a wealthy family in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.

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.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not 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. Source

What else do you suppose else Abe is thinking?

At least thats the way I see it on this side of the Pecos River!

With a tip of my Stetson to Melinda777 at Blah Blah Blog