Seven score and five years ago, our nation's savior was martyred by an assassin's bullet, mere days after that nation's new birth of freedom. In the ensuing century and a half, we have taken increased devotion from him whom we honor above all others under God. We have been dedicated to the great task set before us by him, and for which he gave the last full measure of devotion — that government whose people are sovereign shall not perish from the earth.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. As the citizenry of that nation whose people are sovereign, we must not allow its government to perish or run amok. That government, its nation, and that nation's people are imperiled by forces within and without its borders.
The perils faced are well known: international terrorism bent on destroying Western civilization; dissension, bickering, and short-sighted self-interests among allies and neutrals; insane obsession with doomsday scenarios among terror-sponsoring regimes; a social malaise wallowing in a great deficit of personal accountability, ethical standards, social responsibility, and fiscal prudence; and, an infestation of all three federal branches with incompetence, arrogance, and narcissism.
But all is not lost, yet. When the chips are down, and make no mistake about it — they are, the American spirit has proven repeatedly to be equal to the task before it. Harken to his true eloquence and take increased devotion from those millions of honored dead who gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that those dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, personal accountability, dedication to excellence, and a will to prevail — and that decency, honor, liberty shall not perish from the earth.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. As the citizenry of that nation whose people are sovereign, we must not allow its government to perish or run amok. That government, its nation, and that nation's people are imperiled by forces within and without its borders.
The perils faced are well known: international terrorism bent on destroying Western civilization; dissension, bickering, and short-sighted self-interests among allies and neutrals; insane obsession with doomsday scenarios among terror-sponsoring regimes; a social malaise wallowing in a great deficit of personal accountability, ethical standards, social responsibility, and fiscal prudence; and, an infestation of all three federal branches with incompetence, arrogance, and narcissism.
But all is not lost, yet. When the chips are down, and make no mistake about it — they are, the American spirit has proven repeatedly to be equal to the task before it. Harken to his true eloquence and take increased devotion from those millions of honored dead who gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that those dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, personal accountability, dedication to excellence, and a will to prevail — and that decency, honor, liberty shall not perish from the earth.
Post #1,201 The Audacity of Greatness
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