Lincoln Blog

Abraham Lincoln, in his speech to the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield in 1838, proclaimed that good men will resort to drastic measures if they don’t comply with government decisions. He gave specific examples of men who see “their property destroyed; their families insulted, and their lives endangered; their persons injured; and...nothing in prospect that forebodes a change for the better,” which causes them to “become tired of, and disgusted with, a Government that offers them no protection.” Lincoln concludes that this will ultimately lead them to “not [be] much averse to a change in which they imagine they have nothing to lose.” In short, Lincoln is suggesting that men will consider stepping outside the law when frustrated by the government. He was, of course, relating his ideas to the great political debates of his time, like slavery, but could perhaps his ideas be related to the political debates of our day as well?

It’s been made apparent by the media that recently, various social and political issues have become huge debates that could potentially lead to a government shutdown. A few of these include the Planned Parenthood scandal, the Iran deal, and problems with the export-import bank. Most citizens and politicians are divided on these issues; for instance, most Republicans want to stop funding Planned Parenthood while Democrats want to keep funding for the organization part of the national budget. Both sides are outspoken and active about their ideas while denouncing the other side. Such rivalry has led to national frustration and a huge rift between political parties and citizens. Arguments over matters such as this have quickly become heated, and some are worried that it could eventually lead to a government shutdown. The various negative consequences of such an event have already been showcased during the last government shutdown, which resulted in near disaster for the country.

Lincoln’s words especially resonate during times like these as people wonder how far extremists will go to have their ideas fulfilled. Will those who feel disappointed by government action start to step outside the boundaries of law? As Lincoln said, even good men can turn to crime during times of urgency...Hopefully, someday soon we will be able to resolve our country’s problems without the solution in Lincoln’s day, which was war. Someone will have to step up and push to make our country better in order to appease those who are outraged and to protect the future of our society. I don’t know what will happen in the future; all I and anyone else can hope for is friendly compromise before it’s too late.