First of all - I am not a prolific poster, but I am a prolific reader of this board and appreciate the thoughtful and intelligent postings of the majority of the denizens here. There is always a sense of decorum and a general respect for varying opinions. Those are the main reasons that I am posting this here rather than on some political blog or forum. I apologize for the length and lack of cohesion, but I just had to write something down.
I had to travel to Springfield, Illinois today for work and by chance on my route back to the highway I passed by Oak Ridge Cemetery where the Lincoln Tomb is located.
On a whim I decided to stop. Okay, not a full fledged whim, since Barak Obama is announcing his candidacy for President at the old state capitol in Springfield tomorrow, and it was all over the radio and news. In the hallway on the way to and from the tomb, are bronze plaques with excerpts from Lincoln's Farewell Address to Springfield, The Gettysburg Address, and his second inauguration. I was struck by how honest and off the cuff Lincoln's words were (no speech writer - all himself) and how much they focused on his duty to serve his country to the best of his abilities. I suggest you google and read these works - they are all short readings (a paragraph or two), and in the context of the issues facing the States at the time, especially the Farewell to Springfield, and the outcome is quite moving and better than any Hollywood script you could ever read.
Which brings me to my question - do we really know what service means anymore? My grandmother recently passed away. What I really knew about her was that she raised 7 kids while my grandfather fought in WWII. She was funny and loved to have parties. At her funeral, I learned about a lot of groups and service organizations that she was involved in, as well as all of the service clubs my grandpa belonged to, on top of their commitment to family and country. I feel that generation knew what service was in the defense of freedom, whether at home or abroad.
Brokaw and Jennings and many others have written books about that "Great Generation," and I wonder do we have anyone left like Lincoln and our grandparents/parents left as leaders?
Obama's speech on the old Illinois capital is a shrewd tactical move: he's from Illinois, Springfield is where Lincoln ran his campaign from. Obama is black - Lincoln was the Great Emancipator. What better place to start a campaign for the first viable black presidential candidate?
However, deep down, I think Obama "gets it" and I think he is dedicated to service. It is interesting that we also have the first viable female presidential candidate. However, , I believe Hillary would be more of the establishment (meet the new boss, the same as the old boss). She may have Washington experience but she is certainly an insider. I think she would be more in service to the interests that got her there, rather than overarching goals or principals.
How does that affect me? I live a very comfortable life. I look at myself now and wonder: I take care of my family, I enjoy my free time, I dabble in audio, is that enough? Am I providing a good example to my children, or even a good foundation besides a home and access to a great educational system? I am troubled by my lack of contribution outside of just to myself or my immediate loved ones.
Therefore, I feel I owe something to my grandparents and my parents to share what I have been given and I will join a service organization and try to improve the lot of others in my community. While Lincoln thought of and was able to affect weightier issues than I, I think I should try to make a difference, no matter how small.
However, It's hard for me to be motivated, when the weight of inertia is saying to me: enjoy your music, enjoy your family, enjoy your life and extracurricular activities. Do the rest of you wrestle with this? How do you make a difference?
Thanks for reading,
Dave
