If each of us could write a letter to President Abraham Lincoln to tell him about the progress of the world and especially about Menard County Illinois, what would you tell him?
First of all I would tell him that the county was proud of his accomplishments and that all of the world was so sorry that he died an untimely death, before he accomplished all of what he wanted to do.
I would then tell him that the world is such a changed placed and that politics now consume the leaders of America. Debate was common in Abraham Lincoln's day but the topics of the day are different now and to the point where the persons debating are certainly over critical of each other, and even to the point of trying to point blame where there is actually no blame. I call these "attempts to create ruination" of the opposite side.
The rural area politics are so controlled by both state and federal government action. I would elaborate first on the financial state of the union and the Illinois debt crisis. Both of these financial crisis situations contribute to the economy of the rural areas and especially that of Menard County. I would indicate how this area is recognized as a major agriculture center of the nation and that land prices in Central Illinois are hovering near $14,000 per acre and expected to go up to around $20,000 according to one of the Springfield area auctioneers. In view of the high real estate taxes in Menard County and their rank as one of the highest in the nation per median, I would certainly tell Mr Lincoln that he must have done a great job of surveying in his day, and so much so that he may have caused the high real estate taxes of today.....probably because of the county's association with Mr. Lincoln.
I would tell Mr. Lincoln that I have visited his and his family's grave sites many times as well as his home. I would also elaborate on how well preserved is his Springfield home and that I have enjoyed it tremendously when I have visited it.
I would put a statement similar to this.....Mr. Lincoln you must know that the nation has grown from the 35 states when you passed on. Our Republic now stands strong with 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. Adding a state in the middle of an ocean, might have seemed something that would never happen during your timeline, but the state of Hawaii rests in the Pacific Ocean. We also acquired the Alaska Territory from Russia just two years after your demise and that territory is also a state in our nation.
I would close with a statement that I know that he always believed in all men being created equal and that I know that he was also including the women of the nation. I will tell him that I know that was not accomplished in his lifetime, and even though there have been gains in accomplishment, our nation still has trouble with granting equal rights to all of the citizens. Women for instance have had to fight for many rights and there are times like now, which point to the fact that some rights may be on the verge of being lost.
I would also say.....Mr. Lincoln, America was just an experiment, and that our leaders are still trying to get the experiment components exactly right. The human pitfalls and limitations and the constantly changing political arena have prevented that. But America has hope that someday the experiment will be completed, and all of the American citizens will feel the total accomplishment of a free and equal nation.
I would close with a thank you to Mr. Lincoln for allowing me to be able to learn about his life and for the time he spent being a President that the world admired. His honesty and pride of America provided a sound basis for our country during the early years of existence.
Thought For The Day
Beware of little expenses.
A small leak will sink a great ship.
--Ben Franklin
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