Comments on: Obama and Lincoln’s Bible http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2009/01/02/obama-and-lincoln%e2%80%99s-bible/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:08:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Chuck Clausen http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2009/01/02/obama-and-lincoln%e2%80%99s-bible/comment-page-1/#comment-3957 Chuck Clausen Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:40:29 +0000 http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/?p=3061#comment-3957 What a lovely, learned, and timely essay, worthy of its distinguished author. Yesterday I received an embossed invitation to the Inaugural from the Inaugural Committee, the same invitation that was sent, I'm sure, to all in the constellation of contributors to Sen. Obama's campaign. It lies on my desk as I consider whether to have it framed, not because it signifies anything significant about me, but because it signifies so much for our nation, for us as a people. I grew up on the south side of Chicago, a few miles southwest of Obama's Hyde Park neighborhood. In my senior year at Leo High School, my English teacher, Brother Coogan, dispatched us college bound students to the libraries at the University of Chicago on research assignments. To get there, I took an "L" and a bus through segregated neighborhoods populated by African-Americans consigned to public housing, grotesque slab buildings worthy of the Soviet Union, gulag/ghettos like the infamous Robert Taylor "homes" and Cabrini Green. Other assignments took us to the Newberry Library near downtown Chicago. To get there, I would take the Englewood "L" through other segregated south side neighborhoods newly and densely populated by African-Americans, most of them having migrated from southern states, many from rural areas. There was much poverty to be seen through the windows of the "L" and much suffering within those overcrowded flats and apartments. The poverty and suffering was still in those neighborhoods when young Obama came to Chicago years later, hoping to do something about it, to make life better for afflicted residents. Racism was all around us and, although things are clearly much better now, racism (and many other pernicious "isms") still keep us individually and as a people from realizing all the good that life can provide. So for this old coot from the south side of Chicago, to see Americans of all colors, ethnicities, ages and creeds, travel by the tens of thousands to listen to and cheer this young, eloquent, strong leader, another South Sider and an African American, is more thrilling and inspiring than I can express. I was thunder-struck and came close to tearing up as I watched the multitudes gathering in Grant Park on election night. That is why receiving the invitation to this particular Inaugural is so meaningful to me, and of course to many others, and why I will probably hang it on my office wall. After the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency, many Catholics, especially Irish Catholics, hung photos of JFK on their walls because his election represented a broad acceptance of Catholics as "real" Americans. The election of Obama represents not simply a broader acceptance of African Americans as worthy of leadership in our society, but also a giant step toward liberation of us non-African Americans from the shackles of racism. Glory be! What a lovely, learned, and timely essay, worthy of its distinguished author. Yesterday I received an embossed invitation to the Inaugural from the Inaugural Committee, the same invitation that was sent, I’m sure, to all in the constellation of contributors to Sen. Obama’s campaign. It lies on my desk as I consider whether to have it framed, not because it signifies anything significant about me, but because it signifies so much for our nation, for us as a people.

I grew up on the south side of Chicago, a few miles southwest of Obama’s Hyde Park neighborhood. In my senior year at Leo High School, my English teacher, Brother Coogan, dispatched us college bound students to the libraries at the University of Chicago on research assignments. To get there, I took an “L” and a bus through segregated neighborhoods populated by African-Americans consigned to public housing, grotesque slab buildings worthy of the Soviet Union, gulag/ghettos like the infamous Robert Taylor “homes” and Cabrini Green. Other assignments took us to the Newberry Library near downtown Chicago. To get there, I would take the Englewood “L” through other segregated south side neighborhoods newly and densely populated by African-Americans, most of them having migrated from southern states, many from rural areas. There was much poverty to be seen through the windows of the “L” and much suffering within those overcrowded flats and apartments. The poverty and suffering was still in those neighborhoods when young Obama came to Chicago years later, hoping to do something about it, to make life better for afflicted residents.

Racism was all around us and, although things are clearly much better now, racism (and many other pernicious “isms”) still keep us individually and as a people from realizing all the good that life can provide. So for this old coot from the south side of Chicago, to see Americans of all colors, ethnicities, ages and creeds, travel by the tens of thousands to listen to and cheer this young, eloquent, strong leader, another South Sider and an African American, is more thrilling and inspiring than I can express. I was thunder-struck and came close to tearing up as I watched the multitudes gathering in Grant Park on election night. That is why receiving the invitation to this particular Inaugural is so meaningful to me, and of course to many others, and why I will probably hang it on my office wall. After the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency, many Catholics, especially Irish Catholics, hung photos of JFK on their walls because his election represented a broad acceptance of Catholics as “real” Americans. The election of Obama represents not simply a broader acceptance of African Americans as worthy of leadership in our society, but also a giant step toward liberation of us non-African Americans from the shackles of racism. Glory be!

]]> By: Daniel D. Blinka http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2009/01/02/obama-and-lincoln%e2%80%99s-bible/comment-page-1/#comment-3554 Daniel D. Blinka Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:41:23 +0000 http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/?p=3061#comment-3554 Daniel: while the passage you quote is indeed rich, perhaps the next set of posts should address our respective definitions of a "classic." I best remember Coolidge as the first president to speak on the radio. While on a visit to California, Coolidge was approached on a railroad platform by a reporter with a live microphone who, according to the story, introduced Coolidge with much fanfare and noted that the President's "broadcast" would mark a historic occasion. And it did. The excited announcer held the microphone close to Silent Cal, who said, "Goodbye" and climbed onto the train. Now that's classic Coolidge. Daniel: while the passage you quote is indeed rich, perhaps the next set of posts should address our respective definitions of a “classic.” I best remember Coolidge as the first president to speak on the radio. While on a visit to California, Coolidge was approached on a railroad platform by a reporter with a live microphone who, according to the story, introduced Coolidge with much fanfare and noted that the President’s “broadcast” would mark a historic occasion. And it did. The excited announcer held the microphone close to Silent Cal, who said, “Goodbye” and climbed onto the train. Now that’s classic Coolidge.

]]> By: Daniel Suhr http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2009/01/02/obama-and-lincoln%e2%80%99s-bible/comment-page-1/#comment-3528 Daniel Suhr Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:41:25 +0000 http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/?p=3061#comment-3528 Professor Blinka! The 1925 inaugural address by President Coolidge is a classic. Check out these closing lines: America seeks no earthly empire built on blood and force. No ambition, no temptation, lures her to thought of foreign dominions. The legions which she sends forth are armed, not with the sword, but with the cross. The higher state to which she seeks the allegiance of all mankind is not of human, but of divine origin. She cherishes no purpose save to merit the favor of Almighty God. (<a href='http://www.speaking-tips.com/Inaugural/Coolidge-Inaugural-1925.aspx' rel="nofollow">speaking-tips.com</a>) Professor Blinka! The 1925 inaugural address by President Coolidge is a classic. Check out these closing lines:

America seeks no earthly empire built on blood and force. No ambition, no temptation, lures her to thought of foreign dominions. The legions which she sends forth are armed, not with the sword, but with the cross. The higher state to which she seeks the allegiance of all mankind is not of human, but of divine origin. She cherishes no purpose save to merit the favor of Almighty God.

(speaking-tips.com)

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