The Emancipator

Lincoln is 200 today and there's a world of stuff out there remarking on his life and legacy, including this: http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities/2009-01/Lincoln.html. I've always admired Lincoln for many things, particularly his determination and ability to persevere through challenges that would have deep sixed pretty much anyone else. They just don't make guys like him or that guy from Virginia, Bobby Lee, anymore. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a Harvard professor is out with a new treatment on Lincoln, called "Looking for Lincoln." I heard Gates interviewed on the radio the other day and then watched his show on PBS last night. Gates indicated that he was shocked to learn some things about the great emancipator that were counter to his understanding. I find Gates to be a very decent man and I don't quibble much with anything he says, which namely settles on Gates, as an African American, coming to grips with the fact that Lincoln was a racist and was quite ready to throw blacks under the bus, or carriage in order to save the Union. What I find a little troubling is that a Harvard prof is just now finding out something about Honest Abe that hasn't been much of a secret for a very long time now--hell, I knew about this stuff while still in the idiot high school I had the privilege to attend (we did have the largest FFA in the nation, thank you very much). You sort of expect Hahvad, and Yale and all the rest of the Ivies to be a little versed on subject matter and Gates' startling discovery lends credence to the growing school of thought that thoughts in fact are fairly fleeting up there. Maybe it's the winters or the organic produce. Whatever the case, your kids should be okay at Tech or State or wherever and the girls will damn sure rate higher. All that said, happy birthday, Abe. If you see Sherman up there, tell him he can kiss my rebel ass.