by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
The original Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches in American history, was penned by President Abraham Lincoln on the back of an envelope and delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19th, 1863, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Lincoln's speech that day was known for its brevity and eloquence, and it was such a masterpiece of writing and oration that school students for generations were tasked with memorizing and reciting it.
Ninety-eight years later there was a second Gettysburg address connected to the American presidency, a physical location, when Ike and Mamie Eisenhower left the White House in January of 1961 and moved to the small farm that they had purchased which was situated on a Gettysburg rural route.
And now, sixty-three years further on, another American President has chosen to return the nation's focus to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Donald Trump went off in a wandering diatribe about the Civil War battle at Gettysburg last Saturday while he was attempting to give a political speech in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. I had seen his basically incoherent remarks not long after they fell from his mouth, and chose to disregard them, but today a favorite cousin in California emailed them to me (thanks, Susanna!), and I decided that they were of such a unique nature that they should be preserved in The Ramble. It is very doubtful, however, that any remarks of Donald Trump's will ever merit being memorized and recited by school children.
You might want to tighten your seat belt because Donald John tends to swerve while he talks, but here is what the former President had to say about Gettysburg:
"Gettysburg, what an unbelievable battle that was. The Battle of Gettysburg. What an unbelievable - I mean it was so much and so interesting, and so vicious and horrible, and so beautiful in so many different ways. It represented such a big portion of the success of this country."Gettysburg. Wow. I go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to look and to watch. And the statement of Robert E. Lee - who's no longer in favor - did you ever notice that? No longer in favor - 'Never fight uphill, me boys, never fight uphill.' They were fighting uphill. He said, 'Wow, that was a big mistake.' He lost his big general, and they were fighting. 'Never fight uphill, me boys!' But it was too late."
Mondo bizarro!
Do the parents of America's young men and women really want their sons and daughters fighting in a military that is under the control of someone with such an amorphous mind? Shouldn't all people who work in the White House, and especially the President, have the ability to speak in complete sentences that make sense? Is it too much to expect a President of the United States to at least have the equivalent of a third-grader's knowledge of American history?
Three former United States Presidents (all Republicans) have connections to a Gettysburg address. Two were recognized dynamic leaders who worked tirelessly to bring our nation together and make it stronger and better, and the third was Trump.
Gettysburg. Wow.
2 comments:
This looks like a Freudian slip, an unintentional error regarded as revealing subconscious feelings.
Merriam Webster says an uphill battle is a very difficult struggle. Perhaps the term refers to the defensive positions taken by a smaller army at elevated terrain. The attacking forces then have to expose themselves as they fight uphill.
Of course, sometimes an army loses by not establishing their superior position, as they are pursued uphill by the attacking forces. This was the case when the 7th US Cavalry met its demise under the command of General George Custer Armstrong. An article from the Smithsonian Magazine explains the battle from the Native American perspective. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-battle-of-little-bighorn-was-won-63880188/
"As Custer’s soldiers made their way from the river toward higher ground, the country on three sides was rapidly filling with Indians, in effect pushing as well as following the soldiers uphill. “We chased the soldiers up a long, gradual slope or hill in a direction away from the river and over the ridge where the battle began in good earnest,” said Shave Elk. By the time the soldiers made a stand on “the ridge”—evidently the backbone connecting Calhoun and Custer hills—the Indians had begun to fill the coulees to the south and east. “The officers tried their utmost to keep the soldiers together at this point,” said Red Hawk, “but the horses were unmanageable; they would rear up and fall backward with their riders; some would get away.” Crow King said, “When they saw that they were surrounded they dismounted.” This was cavalry tactics by the book. There was no other way to make a stand or maintain a stout defense. A brief period followed of deliberate fighting on foot."
Gettysburg and the Little Bighorn were different battles in different wars. Trump's claim is not supported by any citation. But it looks to me like the little voice in his head is warning him of the myriad uphill battles he faces in courts, federal and state, throughout the nation. These battles are draining his campaign coffers, depleting resources that won't go to other Republican candidates, and threaten his liberty interest. He knows he shouldn't be fighting uphill, but he can't pay anyone off, bully anyone into submission, and must for the first time in his life face the consequences for his alleged actions. The rubber is meeting the road.
I wish we could call up noted military historian Col. Leo E. Huff U.S.A. Ret. for his view on fighting uphill. Sadly, he passed in 2003.
Gosh, I am so honored to be mentioned in the midst of your thoughtfully chosen words, Cousin Rock. Beautifully said.
And may I also add, “Wow.”
— Cousin Susanna
Post a Comment