"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."
Great words and ideas are timeless. The thoughts and ideals such words convey span the centuries and apply equally to ancient and modern day battlefields, heroes, and martyrs.
25 comments:
Just one life will soon be past, only whats done for christ will last.
May we never forget those who seek radical right wing ideas on the good people of the United States no matter what color or nation they breed. Hate is hate no matter how you sugar coat it.
"that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain "
Never Forget
Timothy O'Brien, Paul Talty, Terry Hatton, John Sherry and James Geyer. 5 people I am sure of who I grew up with who died at the WTC. Unfortunately I am not sure how many I know died because at least 3 people had the same names as people I remember growing up with and one I once worked with but I have not sought to verify if they were the same person. My hometown had over 25 deaths, as I said I am aware of only 5 for sure. As I watch the replay on MSNBC of 9/11 as it occurred I am reminded that the two worst things to happen to me as a result of 9/11 are not so bad as I have sometimes felt, often feeling sorry for myself. I am alive and uninjured physically. I did give away my dog of 5 years to volunteer for the war effort. 40 Year old lawyers were not needed and that was one of the biggest mistakes in judgment I have ever made. I also criticized the FBI in writing when I learned that they had reports of individuals taking flying lessons but not wanting to know how to land and instead chose to be pawns for partisan politics in investingating with dozens of agents and thousands of man hours the president cheating on his wife. My reward for expressing my outrage in writing was to land on the government's watch list and I am harassed regularly- especially when I fly. I learned I was on this list when I flew to a funeral and I suspect I have been harassed more than many non-citizens but I still love this country, I just wish we would stop the violence- both at home and in Iraq. When you vote on November 4th your choice is very simple- do you want to continue with war and military and death or do you want someone who will try to bring CHANGE and if you cannot figure out which candidate stands for which then you are not smart enough to be allowed to vote in the first place. Name withheld but a regular observer of the blog and sometime contributor.
"May we never forget those who seek radical right wing ideas on the good people of the United States no matter what color or nation they breed."
Can someone translate this into an intelligible thought for the rest of us?
On second thought, don't bother.
3:51, you deserved a life in a totalitarian society. So lucky to live in the USA, and you probably have no idea why that is. Whatever.
1:07 basically says "USA: Love it or leave it", aka "Support the government or shut up", and ironically says 3:51 is lucky not to live in a totalitarian society.
You guys make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Rumpole,
well worded my friend, well worded.
Yes, may we never forget the heroes the victims and their families.
Attorney Rejected By The Princess,
proud member since 2008
Dudes!!!! The weather here sucks. It's Shumie time for me. I'm going to the Texas coast for a little weekend VAY-CAY. That's right- vacation time for the Big P. See you Dudes Monday.
Can someone translate this into an intelligible thought for the rest of us?
On second thought, don't bother.
Thursday, September 11, 2008 12:59:00 PM
I will take the liberty to "bother". It means you right wing do nothing white trash haters that cannot decide who you hate more; A Black Man for President or a Woman for Vice-President. For you 12:59PM you won't have the white angry man for presidential tocket pick this year. Um woman or black man you ponder? Suggestion to ease the pain of your right wing life just overdose on some meds.
3:51/5:42..............get off the drugs (or take your medication; I'm not sure which piece of advice is better given the almost unintelligible first post). Palin is as right wing as they come these days. The conservatives love her. And, say what you want, most also loved Powell and Rice. Yeah, there are still some lunatic groups out there, but the majority of the right wing doesn't have a problem with a black or female candidate.
BTDT
George W. Bush said of the terrorist: "We will bring them to justice or we will bring justice to them..."
After seven years, we are still waiting.
Rump, your post went up at 12:01. Was that intentional?
Rump
Let US bring bin Laden to the bar of Justice or do him via Black ops; either are exceptable, but 7 (seven) years of Not getting the ring leaders is unexceptable.
D. Sisselman
What a shame with some of the posts for this entry.
Most of us are ...1 -2 degrees of seperation from someone that was killed in 9/11.
There is a growing, festering worldwide threat towards our ideals and lifestyle. Slamming people and ideas in a blog far, far away may result in a beheading.
It should be painfully obvious, from the moment you have to deal with the hassles of security at the front of the courthouse, that 9/11 changed things forever.
We are Americans, unified in the concept of whether you are right or left, black or white, rich or poor...a lot of people in the world hate us.
I have always felt that us lawyers canibalizing on each other diminishes our ability to make money and certainly tarnishes what we think is a "profession". Let's not tarnish ourselves on this solemn day.
Opposites should attract... with each side pointing out to the other... what they did not know about (like in an "Allen" charge)
Take this post to blog about "us", "us" as lawyers, "us" as Americans, "us" as South Floridians, "us" as human beings.
I bet you did not think about who is a bad judge, politics, shummie time or the other regular blog nonsense when planes were crashing into our historic buildings?!
6:41- yup. You are a careful reader.
shumie shum shum
to 1228- what do you propose we do, nothing and just leave Iraq so they can attack us again.
"May we never forget those who seek radical right wing ideas on the good people of the United States ..."
Either I am on some good shit or that comment makes sense.
Thank God we have Scott Saul and his humongous ego to lecture us on what we should think and how we should behave.
"... there are still some lunatic groups out there, but the majority of the right wing doesn't have a problem with a black or female candidate."
Thursday, September 11, 2008 6:18:00 PM
Exactly my point. You say "some" I say wrong it is the majority that are lunatics. Just take 2004 for example they used hate against gay as the topic to get Bush back in the white house. Find me one democrate or left wing nut that cares if two guys want to get married.
Those same nuts on the far right are the same nuts you see on the border with Mexico calling themself "minute men" using 9/11 to advance there hate against Latin people and in this case Mexicans. It is all white trash, red neck, right wing nuts who are going crazy that a woman or a black man will make history on November 4, 2008.
One day we will have a gay president.
9:59- Please seek medical help at once. You have drunk the cool aide.
IRAQ NEVER ATTACKED US.
Al Queda from Afghanistan did.
The CIA knew it. They told Bush it. They told Bush there were no weapons of mass destruction. And Bush "went with his gut feelings" as documented in the new Bob Woodward Book "The War WIthin" and invaded a country, killed 100,000 Iraqis and 4000+ americans, for a "gut feeling" that was wrong.
To have a gut feeling you have to have guts. George Bush has no guts. He is gutless.
rumpole your negative reference to kool aid is rascist and elitist which implicitly mocks the poor and african americans
2:11..........There are nuts in both parties, unfortunately. Still, you are being way too simplistic. There are plenty of good people in the Republican party. The majority of right wingers want to improve our country and do respect the rights of others, the lunatic fringe notwithstanding.
Additionally, while I think the fringe groups trying to unilaterally enforce our immigration laws are out of control, I, like many right AND left wingers, believe that we need to do more to control our borders and address immigration in a fair and orderly fashion. That doesn't make me prejudiced, it makes me realistic. We have a right to determine who gets to come, stay and go. We should exercises it appropriately. Last I checked, the majority of both parties agrees with that.
You cite extreme examples, so I'll cite one for you on why we should control our borders.........I believe there's no reason we should accept being the repository of another country's criminals. I can't imagine any thinking person having a problem with that.
The point is, that we need to leave the rhetoric behind and work together if we expect to get anything done. Citing extreme cases and stereotyping a signficant portion of the political spectrum or a party doesn't help any more than stereotyping a race, creed, ethnicity or nationality. We need to get past labels and deal with issues. I'd think a liberal like you would understand that.
BDTD
All this "God" crap is really friggin' annoying. What are the blessings he bestows upon this Nation? Is prayer going to bring about some sort of God powered missile shield? Did people jump to their death as part of God's plan?
What new freedom has been birthed, under God, since 9/11? A shredding of the Constitution. An Orwellian, color coded terrorist alert system. Torture of "Enemy Combatants." Wire-tapping, domestic spying, and the conviction of how many al Qaeda operatives?
Thanks, God, for all those blessings. Now go bless some other people. Perhaps the Sudanese.
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