Election Anxiety: Advice From Abraham Lincoln

By the time the votes are tabulated and our choice for President is confirmed, we will find ourselves standing at a critical fork in the road, one that leads either to a precipice from which we leap to our own demise, or toward a towering mountain beyond which lies a verdant field of promise. The choice will be yours, mine and our neighbors.

As I found myself concerned about this election and its implications, I turned to Abraham Lincoln for inspiration. Most of us know that Lincoln was a Republican, one who guided us from a troubling past of slavery into a future that seems very much upon us. His guidance from the past seems ever current today.

Please consider these eloquent words and join in creating a future in which we can all grow and prosper.

On the need to unite

"With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds."

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

As we move forward from the election, uniting for the common good will be critical, both for the well being of us as individuals, and more so for the well being of the country. Clearly, we need to support one another, to comfort one another, and to align ourselves in the restoration of good works from which and for which all will benefit.

"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"

Surely, neither the McCain nor Obama camps are trying to do harm to the nation, the people or to the world at large. They clearly disagree mightily about the right and proper course. Can we not find a way to align in service to the common good, to respectfully disagree, and address the negatives of the world without having to add negativity in the process? We need to step past the animus, the name calling, and join together to improve this country and well being of ALL of our citizens.

"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."

Could we please stop the insults, the outrageous accusations, and outright lies? Just today I watched an interview of voters in Texas proclaiming Barack Obama to be a socialist, a Muslim, and a friend of terrorists. Even worse, robocalls are circulating today in Pennsylvania accusing Barack of activities basically supporting domestic terrorism. Could we please stop circulating this kind of trash talk? Even if you think Barack Obama or John McCain is a "dog," at least let us be clear that he is of the four legged variety.

And in case you don't like someone from the other side, consider this advice from President Lincoln::

"I don't like that man. I must get to know him better. "

I sure hope everyone is listening! Could you be the person others dislike? Are you someone else's "jerk." I am not a fan of John McCain the politician; however, I have no doubt that he is a fine human being, one who cares and cares deeply. I can easily disagree with his approach without having to villify him.

I once commented that very few parents spend late night hours trying to figure out how to screw up their kids, despite what their kids may have to say about them. The same is true for both the McCain and Obama camps - no matter what you think of their poltiics or policies, neither is spending any time whatsoever trying to make things worse.

On America as leader in the free world:

"Allow the president to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose - and you allow him to make war at pleasure. "

"My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth."

I sure hope we are listening here. We have seen enough of self-serving excuses to use war as an economic tool or the lever to force upon others that which we deem to be in their best interest. Could we please lead by example rather than force? Protection and defense are one thing, aggression based on deception is quite another.

As we move forward from this election, I sincerely hope our new President shares Lincoln's dream and will craft policies intended to inspire, to lead, and to ensure equall treatment for all.

On fixing the current political, social and financial crisis:

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."

Don't we need to spend a few hours figuring out how to fix the current mess without rushing into ill conceived "plans" that can be usurped as easily as the plans that created the current mess?

"Republicans are for both the man and the dollar, but in case of conflict the man before the dollar."

Knowing that Lincoln was a Republican, you have to wonder if and how things could have changed so much. Can we find our way back to valuing people more highly than financial gain?

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts."

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today "

Every politician I have heard in the last couple of decades waxes poetic, with a bit of fire and brimstone thrown in when talking about mortgaging our future and shackling our children's children with insurmountable debt and financial problems. And then they seem to heap more kindling on the fire. Hopefully, our new President will heed Mr. Lincoln's advice and lead us into a new era of response-ability, accountability, and integrity. Please!

On leading us into the future:

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

Could whomever wins office tomorrow have the courage and character to address that which is for the common good, to look after the many rather than the few, and restore a sense of dignity and pride to who we are as a nation?

"He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help."

Nearly one hundred years later, Sidney J. Harris said: "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem."

May we all have wisdom to unite, the courage to face the future, and the heart to help.

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You can find out more about Russell Bishop at http://www.lessonsinthekeyoflife.com. Contact Russell at: [e-mail]

The author of Lessons in the Key of Life, Russell is an Educational Psychologist, professional life coach and management consultant, based in Santa Barbara California.

Comments

[substance43]

It is interesting to note that quite a few mystics believe that President Elect Barack Obama is a reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln. For all I know, this could be true. Just think Lincoln was charged with bringing together a divided country; Obama is charged with bringing together a divided world. Don't worry, Obama is protected and will not be harmed.

[Aroura]

I applaud the author on the spirit of cooporation.
Just a few historical notes. The republican partof old,, founded ny anti-slavery activists, is not the party of today. They were fiscally conservative and socially progressive. They were the new Liberals! They wanted to move forward bravely with new technology and new ideas.
The democrats of that time were VERY socially conservative, and almost regressive.

There was a shift in ideals due to use use of the Southern Strategy (trying to get the racist white vote), beginning in the late 1800's, but really turning the tide by Nixon's time. This resulted basically in a reversal of core ideals in-side both parties.

All the same, I think that much like in Lincolns time, there will be a change in politics. Perhaps the 2 party system is going to undergo a large overhaul on both ends, and meet somewhere on the middle. I sure hope so!!

[truthyguy]

I wanted to choose a few quotes to express what I am thinking - but they all are so applicable that it was not possible.

[lovestar]

"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
-- March 4, 1861 - Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

[Truthdude]

Just wanna say thanks Abe for making this all possible.

[burpgun]

I just wish that President Bush had been a fan of Lincoln or Reagen, it would be a different world and a lot of people would be alive that no longer are and America would still be a proud Nation with no regrets!

[smirkbot]

Thank you for such a fine article. It's depth is succinctly insightful, and it's philosophical accuracy with be validated more with ever passing moment.

[nauni211]

Ask not what your country can do for you but you can do for your country...I think it's time we all join in making America the great country it sill can be.

[Marilynleigh34]

America is a great country. It always has been and will continue to be the best place in the world to live.

[cookiesnmilk]

How about: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." FDR is an excellent example that should be followed.

[Anemocracy]

If Lincoln were alive today, he would be a registered Democrat. Or Libertarian? Green Party? Certainly not a member of the Republican party in its current incarnation.

[Aesthete]

This will sound a bit convoluted to many and I hope all of you get what I'm attempting to say. Upon learning of Obama's triumph, I thought about three historic presidents of the distant past who would be proud, two of them Founding Fathers. They are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. I'm fully aware of course that both Washington and Jefferson, being men of their era, were slaveholders, but I've taken a closer look at their writings, including Jefferson's authorship of the Preamble to the Constitution. Jefferson was a gifted abstract thinker whose writings reveal that he struggled inwardly with the contradiction between the ideals of liberty and the institution of slavery, fully acknowledging that his affluent lifestyle depended on slave labor. He wrote something to the effect that a black man, properly educated, was intrinsically no different from any of the white landed gentry of his day. George Washington's writings also revealed his doubts about slavery. Washington engaged the services of Benjamin F. Baneker, a surveyor and a free black man, to design the nation's capitol. Apparently, Baneker was the first black man to be hired by a U.S. president. As a history buff, I find American history to be fraught with fascinating paradox. Of course, Lincoln's role in the history of black America is well-known to all. Ironically, the Illinois senate seat once occuplied by none other than Lincoln himself was, until last night, Obama's.

[Social Construct]

When the Supreme Court decided that a corporation was a person, protected by the constitution, is when the dollar became a man and a man became a dollar. The result is that the man cannot come before the dollar because they are one and the same. This is one republican legacy that I long to see reversed.

[SMatthews]

What? No Lincoln video clip?

[BluePrideSMW]

Funny you should ask... Here's one partially 'bout the last good republican, Lincoln, and...

Moms Mabley sings Abraham, Martin & John:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge32xtm23rQ

[ZoeyMO]

I recently read Doris Kearns Goodwin's book on the Lincoln presidency and was tremendously impressed by the man's wisdom and leadership ability. The last few months I've Barack has reminded me of Lincoln many times. I'm glad because I think the times call for another great leader.

[saami]

We need another Lincoln; this time his name is Barack Obama and once again he comes to us from Illinois.

[Marilynleigh34]

There will never be another Lincoln. No one can hold a candle to him.

[politicalgal1]

Lincoln was a good man. He pardoned many native Americans convicted in the Santee Rebellion. Lincoln's grandfather was killed by Indians, yet Lincoln was not vindictive.

Read great article about Race, America & Obama:

http://www.vaboomer.com/the_portal_to_boomeranger/2008/11/we-are-all-black-americans.html

[silversister]

It seems true wisdom is eternal and ever timely. Because although the trappings of our culture change, human beings remain the same. People are angry, and it's easier to cast blame than to find solutions. I hope and pray President Obama is able to reach across party lines and begin to heal the wounds that divide us: our economy, the war, health care... etc.

Thanks for sharing his wisdom with us. (thinking I might need to do a bit of research on his life and presidency... such an incredibly wise man...)