[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 17, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6714-S6715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING ABRAHAM LINCOLN

  Mr. BURRIS. Mr. President, born in a log cabin west of the 
Appalachians, Abraham Lincoln grew up in an average family with modest 
means. Yet despite only 18 months of education and family hardships, 
Lincoln's strength of character, persistence, and drive are among the 
many reasons he remains relevant to Americans today. Lincoln's legacy 
continues to impact the young and old alike even as our country changes 
and grows.
  In an attempt to celebrate the life of the great Abraham Lincoln, an 
essay contest was held in Illinois, ``The Land of Lincoln.'' Students 
across the State answered the question: Why is Abraham Lincoln still 
important today? The following essays celebrate the life and legacy of 
Lincoln and at the same time showcase the talent of young people across 
the great State of Illinois. I congratulate Megan Hendrickson, Ahsan 
Jiva, and Hannah Binnion for their extraordinary essays, and I 
encourage all students to continue to explore the history and lessons 
of our remarkable 16th President.
  I ask unanimous consent to have the following three essays printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             Why Is Abraham Lincoln Still Important Today?

          (By Megan Hendrickson, Sixth Grade, Miss Jaskowiak)

       At the beginning of creation God created mankind in his own 
     image with the intent that all would be treated equally. On 
     January 1, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln established a 
     document called the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the 
     African American slaves from their slave owner's farms. But 
     still, why is Abraham Lincoln still important today? First, 
     Abe Lincoln abolished slavery. Next he kept the nation as one 
     so we would act as one nation not two, and remain strong. 
     Last but not least, Abe led the nation through the Civil War 
     as Commander in Chief.
       President Abraham Lincoln put slavery to a halt when he 
     signed the Emancipation Proclamation to abolish slavery. 
     Today, this has had a huge impact on us. The slavery halt is 
     one of the reasons we have our 44th President Barrack Obama. 
     If we still had slavery, we might be two separate nations, 
     the North and the South, and many of the opportunities for 
     African Americans that we have today, simply would not have 
     been possible. When Abe stopped slavery it still didn't stop 
     people from doing horrible things to people. Slavery had 
     ended, but segregation and racial discrimination started. 
     That was the worst part. Many of these things have taken more 
     than a century to bring about change. We went through a time 
     when African American people couldn't even go to school or 
     ride on the bus with others, or they had to sit in the back. 
     I believe if it weren't for Abraham Lincoln, some of these 
     changes might not have even come about and we might still 
     have segregation in schools and public transportation. I 
     believe that Lincoln's feelings regarding race and equality 
     were summed up when he said, ``but there is only one race, 
     the human race.''
       President Lincoln kept the country together at a time when 
     the southern half of the nation was trying to separate from 
     the Union over the issue of slavery. Lincoln said, ``This 
     nation cannot exist half slave and half free'' and that ``A 
     house divided against itself cannot stand.'' The quote is 
     relative to Abraham Lincoln holding the nation in one or in 
     other words us being one with each other as a nation. Had 
     Lincoln not taken such a strong stand against slavery, and 
     had the strength and courage to hold this country together, 
     our country might not be what it is today. Lincoln held 
     strong to his faith and beliefs even though he knew it would 
     bring about the Civil War.
       Abe led the country through war as Commander in Chief, 
     leading with pride and hope for our country. He had entered 
     his Presidency with a task before him greater than he felt he 
     himself could handle, but felt that with God's help and for 
     the sake of our nation, he could not fail. Had Lincoln not 
     had the courage to lead us into and through the Civil War, 
     for the cause that he believed was right, where would our 
     country be today?
       Our nation and the world only have one race, the human 
     race. I believe that President Lincoln believed this, and 
     took a stand on his beliefs that have had more than a hundred 
     years of changes in our nation. We all can see why Abraham 
     Lincoln is important today by looking at history and seeing 
     the changes that have taken place over time regarding race 
     and equality. We should all work together as one nation to 
     continue President Abraham Lincoln's legacy and belief that 
     all men are created equal.
                                  ____


             Why Is Abraham Lincoln Still Important Today?

               (By Ahsan Jiva, Grade 5, Mrs. L. Anderson)

       Abraham Lincoln lived a great life. I don't think there 
     will ever be a person as special and important as him. He 
     helped stop slavery, he had famous speeches, and served as 
     president. The list goes on and on. And that is why he still 
     means so much to us today.
       Abraham Lincoln grew up in Hardin Country, Kentucky in 
     1809. As a child, Abraham Lincoln didn't go to school much, 
     which to me is really hard to believe. When Lincoln grew 
     older, the chopped rails and fences for a living. Even though 
     he didn't go to college, he was still able to be a lawyer. 
     After that he tried for the senate. But he didn't make it. 
     Those are just some of the reasons why Lincoln is honored and 
     respected today.

[[Page S6715]]

       After working a lot, Abraham Lincoln finally became the 
     sixteenth president of the United States. He married Mary 
     Todd Lincoln and had four children. He went against slavery 
     and tried to prove that to people who didn't believe slavery 
     should be stopped. He has once said, ``Whenever I hear anyone 
     arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried 
     on him personally.'' He fought for the slaves' freedom in the 
     Civil War and won. He signed the Emancipation Proclamation 
     and set all the slaves free. But during the Civil War, 
     Lincoln gave one of the most brilliant speeches of all time. 
     It wasn't very long but it had tons of meaning. It was called 
     the Gettysburg Address. He gave it after the brutal battle of 
     Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. That speech made him famous back 
     then and what makes him important today.
       Even though he is not with us today, he is very hard to 
     forget. He is on the penny and fiver dollar bill. He also has 
     famous monuments made for him, such as the Lincoln Memorial 
     and Mount Rushmore. He will especially remembered in 
     Illinois, because he spent a lot of his time here. He's known 
     for his tall hat and the first president with a beard. He was 
     also fond of pets. He is known for his many quotes, such as 
     ``I leave you, hoping that the lamp of liberty will burn in 
     your bosom, until there shall no longer be doubt, that all 
     men are created equal''. There are many more credentials of 
     Abraham Lincoln, but I think I'll stop right there because I 
     don't think there are enough pieces of paper to list all of 
     Lincoln's accomplishments.
       Abraham Lincoln was living a great life but sadly it had to 
     end because while he was enjoying a play at Fords Theater, he 
     was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. He lived to be 
     fifty-six years old. Lincoln's death broke the heart of many 
     people. He was buried in Springfield, Illinois.
       Abraham Lincoln will be missed a lot. His death was very 
     unfortunate, especially since he was in his second term as 
     president. He was important in so many ways. Although he is 
     not with us today he will be remembered forever.
                                  ____


             Why Is Abraham Lincoln Still Important Today?

                (By Hannah Binnion, Grade 3, Miss Alday)

       Abraham Lincoln is still important today because he was 
     honest. He had a customer that paid too much so he ran miles 
     to give her extra change back. Abe didn't like slavery so he 
     made a law when he was the president stating ``There was to 
     be no more slaves.'' This law helped free slaves. It seemed 
     that he cared not only for himself but for others as well. He 
     wanted to avoid war at any cost it was difficult.
       President Lincoln liked to be funny and kind. He loved 
     books for fun and to learn. Lincoln set an example that if we 
     helped others even if their from different cultures we'll get 
     along better.
       I feel this is why Abraham Lincoln is still important 
     today. I feel that it is important for us to be honest and 
     not think of people from different cultures as bad and 
     different then we are because of who they are, we should be 
     treated equal.
       Lincoln set an example that if we follow his example, it 
     would make us and our community better. He helped us regain 
     our freedom for our countries rights.

                          ____________________