Dinner With Lincoln by George

Dinner With Lincoln by George - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

Being President is one of the most fascinating yet trying jobs on earth. I wouldn’t want the job of running this entire country. I do admire those men and women who have taken it upon their shoulders to run for the office though. Honestly, I feel as though no president would’ve have more to deal with than President Abraham Lincoln. He was one of several presidents during the period of slavery in our country, yet he was the one who ended the vicious cycle that helped to make cotton King.
I would have several questions for the man who ended one of the darkest chapters in our country’s history: Why did you end slavery? Did you truly believe black people were equal to whites? Were your motivations politically-based or biblically influenced? I love history and the nostalgic feel of our country’s past. We have a rich and sordid past as a country, but there were times that we shone as brightly as a star, presenting us as an example to the rest of the world. The world saw America’s abolishment of slavery through the Thirteenth Amendment and realized that life didn’t have to continue down the same path forever.
President Lincoln allowed Black people to change the course of their lives. Once slavery was ended, Black people were able to think about their futures and their places in this world. I couldn’t imagine being a slave one day, and the next day free to live your life anyway you’d want. The sudden change must’ve been boggling to the mind to say the least. Interestingly, the change was necessary to forge the citizens of this country closer together. We live and pledge allegiance to the same flag, and I’d like to think that Abraham Lincoln saw the similarities rather than the differences when viewing Black and white people. He wanted us to respect and value each other as countrymen and human beings.
Unfortunately, it seems as though many of our country’s greatest influencers are taken from us long before they should be. Lincoln is one of these very people. He was killed by a man who didn’t agree with him politically. It saddens me to think of the great work that such a wise and generous President never got to accomplish. I think that when we look at each other, we should follow the actions of President Lincoln: Respect each other and realize that people are your equals. Love them. Nurture them. Let them live their lives and make their own choices.
Yes, dinner with President Lincoln would’ve been divine. I wish I could’ve chatted with such a great orator, wonderful father, distinguished President, and humanitarian.