7 thoughts on “Johnny Cash reads the Gettysburg Address”
Kind of makes me sit quietly for a couple of minutes, think about the present state of affairs and wonder: “What in heaven’s name happened?”
If you think things are bad now imagine living then. We were in open war slaughtering each other. Pick any decade of this country’s history and it wouldn’t compere to the destruction of that war.
Many today speak of the economic expansion of the 1950’s and 1960’s as the glory years, but they forget to take the constant fear of nuclear annihilation or the racial prejudice of the time into account. Things were great as long as you were white.
There’s never been a time in this country’s history without some sort of political turmoil. We’ll get through the problems that exist today only to replace them with something else.
To paraphrase a quote: “all it takes for evil to succeed in the world is for a few good men and women to do nothing”. The government is good, but the people in government have become corrupt and immoral. These people are quite happy that the negativism today is about the “government” and while Congress has single digit approval, most folks say “my guy” is ok and reelect the problems. Today being incumbent is worth 40% of the vote. Until being incumbent is a detriment to being reelected, politicians don’t fear the people, they fear the handful of deep pockets.
We don’t need another civil war, but we need a civil awakening in which we, the people, in order to form a more perfect union, get off our butts, stop blaming government, others and do something. Vote, 30-40% voter turnout means our “representatives” are only getting 15-20% to take office.
To make matters worse, those who bleed and die for our nation comprise about 1% of the population, unlike the time when this speech was written. So until we all as a nation look ourselves in the mirror every day and say “I am responsible for our union”, we will continue this current path of past failed nations and societies.
That, IMHO, is what in heaven’s name happened.
I hear you.
What I took from that reading of the Gettysburg Address was a clear sense that the purpose of government was to safeguard and improve the lives of the citizens. This is also what I was taught as a child.
Unfortunately my confidence in any government, anywhere, doing something really courageous (such as take another look at the laws governing us) has evaporated.
I have no idea what today’s governments are doing for the people but listening to the Gettysburg Address is a reminder that responsible government is possible.
True
Not just turmoil. Corruption has always existed, too. We just hear about more of it now.
This comes from Johnny Cash’s album “America – A 200-Year Salute in Story & Song.” I remember listening to it as a kid on 8-track. The album is not considered to be very good – sappy and sentimental I guess – but I’ve always loved it. I found it a few years ago on iTunes and listening to it brings back good childhood memories and makes me feel patriotic. Sappy and sentimental? Perhaps. Feel good music? Absolutely.
My favorite song from the album is “The Battle of New Orleans,” but the whole thing is just good. Not in that classic music way, but in that these songs make me feel good way.
Kind of makes me sit quietly for a couple of minutes, think about the present state of affairs and wonder: “What in heaven’s name happened?”
If you think things are bad now imagine living then. We were in open war slaughtering each other. Pick any decade of this country’s history and it wouldn’t compere to the destruction of that war.
Many today speak of the economic expansion of the 1950’s and 1960’s as the glory years, but they forget to take the constant fear of nuclear annihilation or the racial prejudice of the time into account. Things were great as long as you were white.
There’s never been a time in this country’s history without some sort of political turmoil. We’ll get through the problems that exist today only to replace them with something else.
To paraphrase a quote: “all it takes for evil to succeed in the world is for a few good men and women to do nothing”. The government is good, but the people in government have become corrupt and immoral. These people are quite happy that the negativism today is about the “government” and while Congress has single digit approval, most folks say “my guy” is ok and reelect the problems. Today being incumbent is worth 40% of the vote. Until being incumbent is a detriment to being reelected, politicians don’t fear the people, they fear the handful of deep pockets.
We don’t need another civil war, but we need a civil awakening in which we, the people, in order to form a more perfect union, get off our butts, stop blaming government, others and do something. Vote, 30-40% voter turnout means our “representatives” are only getting 15-20% to take office.
To make matters worse, those who bleed and die for our nation comprise about 1% of the population, unlike the time when this speech was written. So until we all as a nation look ourselves in the mirror every day and say “I am responsible for our union”, we will continue this current path of past failed nations and societies.
That, IMHO, is what in heaven’s name happened.
I hear you.
What I took from that reading of the Gettysburg Address was a clear sense that the purpose of government was to safeguard and improve the lives of the citizens. This is also what I was taught as a child.
Unfortunately my confidence in any government, anywhere, doing something really courageous (such as take another look at the laws governing us) has evaporated.
I have no idea what today’s governments are doing for the people but listening to the Gettysburg Address is a reminder that responsible government is possible.
True
Not just turmoil. Corruption has always existed, too. We just hear about more of it now.
This comes from Johnny Cash’s album “America – A 200-Year Salute in Story & Song.” I remember listening to it as a kid on 8-track. The album is not considered to be very good – sappy and sentimental I guess – but I’ve always loved it. I found it a few years ago on iTunes and listening to it brings back good childhood memories and makes me feel patriotic. Sappy and sentimental? Perhaps. Feel good music? Absolutely.
My favorite song from the album is “The Battle of New Orleans,” but the whole thing is just good. Not in that classic music way, but in that these songs make me feel good way.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/america-200-year-salute-in/id190850369