Political Quotes

“it is my great honor to stand here today and commemorate Abraham Lincoln on the bicentennial of his birth. Abraham Lincoln's leadership during one of our darkest periods forever changed the face of our Nation. Because of his bold vision and undivided faith in the future of our great Nation, freedom and justice for all was realized. Without doubt, as this resolution affirms, President Lincoln "redefined what it means to be an American." Today, I wish to take a moment to recognize another part of his legacy. In this resolution, it states that "despite less than a year of formal schooling, he developed an avid love for reading and learning." Lincoln's stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston, encouraged Lincoln to read, write, and think freely, even as she and Lincoln's father could not afford to send him to school. And herein lies the brilliance of Lincoln's rise. From the backcountry in Illinois to the White House in Washington, DC, Abraham Lincoln rose to the highest office in the land by educating himself. In his first political address in 1832, seeking a seat in the Illinois General Assembly, he said: I desire to see the time when education . . . shall become much more general than at present, and I should be gratified to have it in my power to contribute something to its advancement. As President Lincoln showed us, education is the foundation of our future success.…”