Political Quotes

“as we approach the end of another year, I rise to remember all those American men and women who have given what President Lincoln called ``the last full measure of devotion'' in service to this great Nation. I often reflect on the Gettysburg Address when thinking about our servicemembers and veterans. We all know this short, somber speech has reverberated throughout our history with an influence that vastly exceeds the few minutes for which Lincoln actually spoke. In November 1863, President Lincoln stood on the battlefield in Gettysburg to bless those brave soldiers who had fallen in what was the bloodiest battle in U.S. history up to that point. The ``last full measure of devotion'' remark has always resonated with me, as it does with so many Americans, but Lincoln had another message in his address. He said, ``It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.'' Even in moments of mourning, Lincoln charged those still standing to rededicate themselves to the hard work of preserving our Nation's integrity, protecting our fundamental freedoms, and building our families' security and prosperity. In a time of great division, this was no small task, and it today remains one of our urgent and most solemn tasks. The year after the Gettysburg Address, the women of Boalsburg, PA, began a tradition that would carry on for generations.…”