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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

November 19th 1863 - Lincoln Gettysburg Speech



A side view of the Lincoln Memorial - it is much narrower on the side.


This week we visited Keith and Liz in Washington DC. They both live downtown and walk to work for two excellent jobs. They are currently shopping for a house.

About 1.5 miles south on 21st Street from their place is Lincoln Memorial. I had a beautiful quiet visit there. It is one of my favorite spots in the town. In 1957 - my Dad took me there - I was 9 years old when I just stared up - open mouthed - at his statue. I had no idea what the two speeches on the walls meant. Now they are genius to me. He was so much ahead of his time.

149 years ago - November 19, 1863 - Lincoln gave his famous address at Gettysburg. Lincoln gave this speech with a head cold - probably worse than the one I have now.


There were 36 states in the union when Lincoln was president. They are labelled around the top. First Delaware - then Pennsylvania.



This larger than life chair statue is appropriate for this giant.


The famous address ends with the "of the people by the people before the people" line.


This is how it looked to me in 1957 - it is even more sacred to me now.


A view from the porch shows the Washington Monument and the Capitol behind it.


In 1963 - I hitchhiked thru Washington in August during the famous civil rights marches. I was coming home from a visit to see Bob LeMaster where he was working in a shoe factory in West Virginia. His parents sent him there specifically to keep him away from bad influences like me.


Peter Paul and Mary sang "Puff the Magic Dragon" on the monument steps.


Most people think Lincoln fought the Civil War to end slavery. According to this carving in the Lincoln Memorial basement - his reason for the war was to preserve the union.

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