Lincoln and Kennedy: Linked forever

          It is amazing to think how closely related two events are that are separated in time by one hundred years and three days. Both reflect their historic eras and both changed the course of history, one more than the other.

          President Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. President John Kennedy was assassinated November 22, 1963.

          Kennedy was invited to speak at Gettysburg on the 100^th anniversary of Lincoln’s address, but either Kennedy or his advisors decided a trip to Texas would better serve the re-election bid in the coming year.

          In retrospect, this was a poor choice.

          You’ve heard all the crazy coincidences: Both men had vice presidents named Johnson; Kennedy was riding in a Lincoln when he was shot and both first ladies ordered major work done on the White House.

Both Abe Lincoln and John Kennedy served during tumultuous times: Lincoln’s election triggered the Civil War and Kennedy presided during the Cold War, ordered the Bay of Pigs invasion and escalated American involvement in Vietnam.

Lincoln was not anyone’s idea of a picturesque man (although he sat for many photographs) but he was physically strong and vigorous. Kennedy projected an attractive image of a young, active man but he was actually somewhat frail.

Both had a way with words. Lincoln spoke of a government of the people, by the people and for the people, while Kennedy told his countrymen to ask not what their country could do for them but instead ask what they could do for their country.

Both men carried the pain of children lost at young ages.

More than a hundred years after Lincoln was murdered and a few years after Kennedy was killed, Lyndon Johnson, Kennedy’s vice president, pushed the Civil Rights Act through Congress. It was a piece of legislation Lincoln likely would have approved.

Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s VP, did not fare so well in working with Congress.

Each November includes the anniversaries of Lincoln’s address and Kennedy’s murder. This year, because of the way the numbers fall, we pay more attention to those dates.

We can argue about how effective they were during their time in office, but Lincoln and Kennedy are somehow linked in the minds of many Americans. Maybe it is due to the assassinations. Maybe it is because of what they had in common.

Whatever the reason, the story of those two presidents draws us to them.

 Here is something else: The further away from Lincoln’s life time traveled, the more removed Americans were from the tremendous hatred Lincoln engendered during his time in office. We are left with his record.

In Kennedy’s case, the longer time stretches from his killing, the less emotion colors our vision of him. We are left with his record.

By the way, do you know who the last sitting president was to visit Gettysburg on November 19, the date of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address?

It was Abraham Lincoln. No president since then has thought himself capable of matching Lincoln’s eloquence.

Thanks for reading.