Last Sunday (September 11th, 2011) was the 10 year anniversary of 9-11; a day when our nation's patriotism and nationalism we're put to the test. Our homeland was attacked by a foreign enemy and their acts of terrorism brought deaths in grueling numbers as well as memories we will never be able to shake.
FoundersofAmerica.com created a special September 11th tribute page and included pictures of the disaster attached with quotations from various political and national figures. These quotes ranged from former President George W. Bush to another former President, Abraham Lincoln.
... 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.
(Gettysburg, Nov. 19th, 1863)
These words hold profound meaning to a nation at war. We cannot take back what has been done, nor will we dwell on what we cannot change. I find Abraham Lincoln to be a man of advanced rhetoric. His incredible way with words was one of his greatest gifts that helped create his path to the White House. Like the 2nd George W. Bush, Lincoln was President for a nation at war. From the Civil War to the War on Terrorism, both men faced great obstacles and challenges while in the White House. In breaking down this quote, I found it amazing how it can still hold truth and value over a century later.
... in a larger sense, we can not dedicate --
we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow --
this ground.
In this quote, Abraham Lincoln is speaking of Gettysburg, the Civil War battle where almost fifty-thousand Union and Confederate soldiers lost their lives. The ground where the battle had been fought has become a marker, a symbol of all that has been lost. The same is also true with Ground Zero. Where the Twin Towers once stood is now far more nostalgic and monumental due to the disaster that occurred on that very plot of land. We can never build over or cover up the damaged land in hopes of erasing the memories. Gettysburg shows a once damaged nation and the sacrifices that occurred to rebuild and strengthen it. Ground Zero symbolizes the enemies that wish to do our country harm and our ability to prevail through hardship.
The brave men, living and dead,
who struggled here, have consecrated it,
far above our poor power to add or detract.
Where American lives have been lost, that land will now symbolize their struggles and honor the life of the departed. For every life lost at Gettysburg or on 9-11, there is no building big enough or tall enough to cover the land where our nation's brothers and sisters fell. There is no man power strong enough to rebuild on the lives of men and women who called themselves Americans. From the Civil War, through the World Wars, to the War on Terrorism, there is nothing that can or ever will mask the importance of an American life.
