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RSSEssay winners jump at the chance to "quiz" Mr. Lincoln
MATTOON - Ten junior and senior high school students recently came to Illinois to learn more about Abraham Lincoln.
But they also had plenty of questions for Lincoln.
Of course, they were young people with more than a passing knowledge of Lincoln. They were chosen from among 5,400 competitors in the Lincoln and a New Birth of Freedom essay contest, sponsored by C-SPAN, the public affairs cable television network, and the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
The top winners traveled through Coles County and Central Illinois as part of a tour of Lincoln historic sites in preparation for the opening of the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.
The students have learned much about the 16th president and his times, but they had questions they would like to ask of Lincoln if they could travel back to the time when he was in the White House.
"I'd like to ask what his biggest motivation would have been. He came from a small farm family, a log cabin and everything. He traveled so far, and you don't do that without a lot of motivation," said Julia Ishiyama of Palo Alto, Calif.
"I'd ask him how he had so much strength to stand against opposition," said Lauren Cairco of Fort Mill, S.C., noting the personal attacks he faced during his political career.
Brett Brown of Wichita, Kan., would offer a question making parallels between Lincoln's eventual assault on slavery and America's war on terrorism today.
"I'd like to know what Lincoln would think of us trying to spread democracy throughout the world. In America, the slaves were without rights. And we have seen people without human rights in Iraq or other parts of the world."
William Marks of Hollywood, Fla., found it interesting that Lincoln's political stand on slavery was accommodating to Southerners during the 1858 Charleston debate with Stephen Douglas. But within a few years, Lincoln spoke openly in support of ending slavery forever in America and offering rights to the freed slaves.
"That is important [that he could change his position] especially with the political climate we have today," said Marks as he held his fists up and away from each other. "The middle doesn't exist anymore."
The students qualified for the tour by writing on the theme, "A New Country, A New Century, A New Freedom," with a word limit of 272 words, which was the length of Lincoln's 1863 Gettysburg Address.
Herb Meeker can be reached at hmeeker@;jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
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