Posted on 11/19/2013 12:23:43 PM PST by Academiadotorg
Martin Luther King, Jr. modeled his famous I Have a Dream speech after President Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address, Allen C. Guelzo, Director of Civil War Era Studies at Gettysburg College, said at the Heritage Foundation on the anniversary of the latter speech.
Lincolns famous address was one of the shortest speeches that became famous, given at a dedication ceremony for the soldiers cemetery in Gettysburg. Even though it barely spanned 200 words, Lincolns Gettysburg Address has been the focus of multiple studies and critiques.
The speech was praised by many, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Ralph Waldo Emerson, at the time. Guelzo quickly dissuaded the audience that Lincoln actually wrote the address while en route to the ceremony, but that he slaved over it for days. The world admired and admires still, said Guelzo, the simple grandeur of the address.
What made this speech special was how Lincoln used the typical middling speech of lawyers at the time and directly appealed to the people with slang and other such rhetorical tools. It resonated with the people because of its simplicity. It communicated important logical points to the audience.
On another note, instead of attending Gettysburg to celebrate the 150th anniversary of this monumental speech, President Obama sent his Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to speak on his behalf. Locals and local newspapers were livid over Obamas refusal to attend to commemorate this pivotal speech in American history. One journalist, Donald Gilliland, called it nothing less than a profile in cowardice.
Spencer Irvine is a staff writer at Accuracy in Academia. If you would like to comment on this article, e-mail mal.kline@academia.org.
Obama’s working on the website.
BUMP...BUMP!
I heard today that there are something like 5 drafts....the first draft is thought to be in the Whitehouse...and does NOT include “under God” which Lincoln added in a later draft....so...a bunch of “celebrities” were asked to recite the address by what’s his name? the History movie producer...the recitation by Obama .... wait for it....did NOT include “Under God”....sooprise....sooprise.
Lincoln labored tirelessly to reunite and heal a divided nation.
Obama labors tirelessly to divide his nation.
I find it altogether proper and fitting that Obama gave this event a pass.
The NappyOne
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.