Posted on 04/12/2005 11:08:34 PM PDT by RWR8189
The opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield this month can become the launch for an initiative to change the name of Illinois to that of the State of Abraham Lincoln.
I'm serious.
Few in the world know what or where Illinois is. Some have heard of Chicago. Yet the world knows Abraham Lincoln--the Great Emancipator; the rock who kept our Union of diverse peoples from fragmenting; the homespun, virtuous, self-educated man of the heartland; a hero, indeed, to all in the world who yearn to be free.
In contrast, our citizens have never really resonated to "Illinois," the name of a feckless confederation of tribes of so-called superior men, who in fact fled time and again--and indeed out of our state--before smaller bands of raiding Iroquois.
Naming places in honor of our icons is standard.
George Washington is honored by one state, the District of Columbia, universities and schools. Jefferson, Franklin, Adams and Lincoln are honored as well at the local level.
Place name change is not unusual, either, even among nations.
The United States is anchored by the two coasts. On the other hand, the great Midwest--the American heart of the nation--lies suspended between those coasts, little known, underappreciated
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
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So what city in Chicago are you from? /sarcasm
We produced Ronald Reagan, and you produced Jimmy Carter...
So there!
If that will maintain Illinois as a RED STATE, I support it.
So, I should say, Chicago of Lincoln?
Well befits the state which has the most chicken attitude toward guns out of the whole 50.
Consulting the index of the Atlas, Lincoln and Washington seem to be fairly evenly represented as names of municipalities ( although Lincoln has a noticeable representation overseas. )
There is a Lincoln, Washington, and a Washington, Illinois. To change this to Washington, Lincoln would verge to closely upon the comical, and I cannot recommend it.
Times have certainly changed. When I was a teenager in central IL, country seat town, we used to go downtown to buy bullets at the hardware store carrying our rifles and pistols. It was as natural as carrying a sack of groceries. Our dads, who were WWII vets, taught us gun handling, safety and maintenance. I still remember my dad showing me how to cock an army 45 one-handed.
Yeah...yeah...
I played my one card...
He's not even native to that state, he was born in Kentucky (Jeff Davis's birth state), and did not move to Illinois until he was around 21 years old.
Oops, I forgot about Reagan. My apologies.
Yup, like the Maine-iac GW Bush, "from Texas"
The difference being W came to Texas when he was two. hehe, I wonder if New York will consider renaming itself, "Hillary"?
Hey Lando, they want to name a state after you!
http://www.nps.gov/libo/
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