This week marks the anniversary of two events that forever changed our country: the Gettysburg address and President Kennedy’s assassination. Both Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy were visionaries, and both were taken from us too soon. It has been 150 years since President Lincoln’s speech and 50 years since President Kennedy’s assassination, and I wonder how they would view our country today.
I remember exactly where I was when I got the news that President Kennedy had been shot. I was a freshman at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville. This was before the days of the Internet and social media, and someone interrupted my class to give us the terrible news. It was a moment, a day, I will never forget. President Kennedy helped shape my generation. I remember trying a little harder in math class after the president committed to put an American on the moon before the decade ended. Tragically, President Kennedy did not live to see Neil Armstrong step off Apollo 11 and on to the moon, but his legacy inspired a nation. The president had the kind of leadership and vision that can only stem from unity. Kennedy knew that, and he helped bring a divided nation together to focus on our shared goals. We’ve been fortunate to have many great leaders in America.
President Lincoln, in just over two minutes, brought hope to a war-torn and weary country. The Gettysburg Address has been remembered as one of the greatest speeches in American history. “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” Lincoln said. Later he added, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” His vision for the United States, even his words that day, changed our country forever.
Today, we again desperately need leadership and a vision we can rally around, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. Our history shows that the things we value most as a nation, liberty and freedom, don’t often come easy or free. The men and women that serve this great country in uniform know this all too well. We owe it to them to work together for the greater good. I still believe we live in the greatest country in the world and that America’s best days are ahead of her. What is your vision for America? Would you like to see us achieve energy independence, send another American to the moon or lead the world by example? Where do you think we should invest our time and resources? Just like Presidents Kennedy and Lincoln taught us, we must look beyond this day and on to tomorrow. I believe we should focus on what America can be rather than getting bogged down with the fight of what it is. That’s not to say we shouldn’t work each day to leave a better America for our children and grandchildren, but what steps toward progress can we take to get us there in the long-term?
Next week, we’ll celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. I am always especially thankful to be an American and my thoughts and prayers go out to the men and women who have fought or are fighting to protect the freedoms we hold so dear. Thank you for giving me the opportunity and honor of serving as your congressman.
Feel free to contact my office if we can be of assistance to you or your family.
