Abraham Linkoln: A New Age Icon for the Next Generation

    Earlier this year, my sister visited an Inn, housing relics that once belonged to Abraham Lincoln. She later returned home with a series of Lincoln-themed magnets and postcards to commemorate her reconnection with history. To showcase her newfound (or re-found) knowledge, she inundated the fridge with these magnets. Many of these magnets contain printed quotes, once remarks, made by Lincoln. Surprisingly, his words still hold applicability in today’s times. Now, before I share these quotes, I will say that Lincoln's memorable moments in history are currently being revisited through a present day lens. Not only has this lens created space to provide new understanding to historical events, but it has also started to redefine historical figures like Lincoln as more complicated than we may have learned in history class. Need the gossip? Follow the asterisks**. Now back to these quotes...“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” These quotes could easily serve as relevant commentary to tensions between political parties today; but just as well, these quotes could give perspective to different types of interpersonal conflicts at home, work or even between neighbors at the park. Below are a few more quotes straight from the fridge that I think everyone will enjoy and possibly get some insight from... 

Top to bottom. (1) "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" (2) "Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be." (3) "If I were two-faced, would I still be wearing this one?" -Abraham Lincoln

"The better part of one's life consists of his friendships." - Abraham Lincoln

    Needless to say, these remarks were made by a profound, albeit imperfect, thinker who seemingly had his finger on some common pulses within the fabric of society. It will certainly be exciting to revisit these quotes every now and then, while grabbing food from the fridge. I wonder how Lincoln would feel knowing his legacy has evolved into sound bites on magnets? I wonder if this achievement would have been more important to him or having made a substantial impact in American history? Clearly, this is hard to answer, so let’s just let this question remain rhetorical. 

    While Lincoln has cemented his place in American history, I wonder if you have heard of another figure by the name of Abraham Linkoln? This is an individual of mysterious origins and a promising legacy (with no available personal photographs), whose words hold similar wisdom as Lincoln. Abraham Linkoln is yet another leader who understands the underpinnings of interpersonal conflict within society. Taking it one step further, Linkoln has the ability to communicate his understanding of the self and its motivations, by speaking the language of today’s youth. Below are a some of his quotes that will enrich your pursuit for knowledge:

"Your attitude has the wheel" - Abraham Linkoln

"Feed fear a suck-it sandwich" -Abraham Linkoln

"You can dooo eeet!" -Abraham Linkoln

Linkoln also has a touch of philanthropy, which I don’t believe should go unnoticed:

"I supported Paws B'cause and helped save lives!" -Abraham Linkoln

 I hate to compare these two figures, but I will say that I continue to be intrigued by both.

* * *

    I have made it my mission to share the wise words of Abraham Linkoln, at least for this particular post. Will these words change your life, just like that? No. Not really, but they’re nice to read and think about. Do quotes have a long term gain? I’ve noticed quotes like these tend to be insights and meanings drawn by someone who went through an experience and can now speak to it upon reflection. If you've had similar experiences, the quote may resonate with you and you may feel validated, but it won’t entirely change your life altogether. And if you’re someone who found the quote inspiring, that’s great. But unless you hang onto that quote and revisit it frequently, it runs the risk of getting replaced by another quote “to live by,” and the cycle continues. At least, that’s what personal experiences have taught me. Maybe quotes are like doorways to new ways to live your life; where reading a quote sparks your interest in the author or the context, and you then fall down the rabbit hole of knowledge and/or you feel encouraged to seek out new experiences similar to the author's...all this action, triggered by a quote. So maybe in this way, quotes can function as a trigger to take action? Okay, I’m digressing from my point...which is, knowledge needs to be accessible to all--especially knowledge about Linkoln. Spread the word of Linkoln.

Until next time

P.S. Never underestimate the power of a sticky note or sharpie pen to troll dwellers

in your house. Troll responsibly.

**So you've followed the path of the asterisks? Welcome. Now traditionally, Lincoln’s legacy credits him with being the 16th President of the United States, overseeing the Civil War, ending slavery in America and being assassinated during his presidency. At least that’s what I can remember off the top of my head, much like any other layperson. Collectively, these attributes have heralded him as a martyr. A legend. The leader whose moral compass drove him to end slavery and to push to keep the US united. In the 2018 Literary Hub article entitled, Abraham Lincoln: Breaking Down the Myth of a Perfect President, Fred Kaplan introduces historical facts and postulations on why the long-held association of Lincoln with legendary or perfect does not accurately represent his legacy--or rather, does not excuse his legacy from imperfection.  

Here are two facts discussed by Kaplan that surprised me and added complexity to my impression of Abraham Lincoln:

1. Lincoln “believed slavery [was] a moral abomination incompatible with Americans principles” but his solution to the slave problem was that he “desired that all blacks residing in the United States immigrate to a land of their own” via “voluntary deportation, known as colonization.” He also “distrusted abolitionism."

These beliefs coming from Lincoln become more interesting when Kaplan compares him to our 6th US President John Quincy Adams, who was also an antislavery moralist, but unlike Lincoln, (1) “[believed] Slavery would be ended, he came to believe, only through a civil war,” (2) “refused to support the American Colonization Society,” (3) “envisioned a multiracial America as inevitable,” and (4) “became deeply sympathetic to abolitionists and abolitionism.” 

2. Despite ending slavery and saving the Union, “Lincoln had no specific plan for postwar reconstruction and national reunification. Whatever he may have attempted if he had lived was likely to have been no more successful, however, than what followed his death. Southern racism was too deeply entrenched ever to have acquiesced in civil rights for blacks without bitter resistance. It’s unlikely that if Lincoln had not been assassinated, America’s racial history would have been a better one. The conflict between state sovereignty and federal authority, differing interpretations of the Constitution, and the belief, deeply embedded in white America’s psyche and laws, that the United States was exclusively a white man’s country would have persisted, regardless of Lincoln’s longevity.”

Surely, these facts are well known to American historians. However, I’d argue for laypersons like myself, revisiting and revising our impressions of “perfect” historical figures is always a good thing to do. It not only enriches our knowledge of the past, but can support how we navigate our present like challenging traditions or common beliefs that we may not have otherwise questioned. One example of this has been the process of removing statues of confederate leaders throughout the southern states due to their historical connotations with slavery. Lastly, this “present day lens” works well in humanizing these figures, who are after all--and this may come as a shock to some--human.