Lincoln's words still resonate today

“It becomes inherent upon those of us that view liberty as the greatest gift that prior generations have passed on to us, to search within and without for the defense which will provide the means to protect that liberty and the argument to convert those that are prepared to give it away for selfish, temporary reasons.

“We must, as a group, remove this threat from our republic. We must find, between all patriots, the conservatives, the liberals and the independents, the compromises that we can build on to recover our liberty. To be petty now is to be selfish.

“Thomas Paine wrote ‘These are the times that try men’s souls’ and I believe that while the desperateness of our times does not compare with the revolutionary period, we must be determined to prevent the absolution of our republic with the same determination and fervor that created it.

“With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men’s labor.

“Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name — liberty.

“And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names — liberty and tyranny.” (Abraham Lincoln)

STEVE APPLE

Sandpoint