My 87th Birthday Address (with apologies and gratitude to Abraham Lincoln)
Title
My 87th Birthday Address
(with apologies and gratitude to Abraham Lincoln)
(with apologies and gratitude to Abraham Lincoln)
Creator
Jacob Schlitt
Description
"Four score and seven years ago, my parents brought forth in the Bronx, a new infant, conceived in a bedroom on Beck Street, who eventually dedicated himself to the proposition that all people are created equal, and that we should all be committed to equality, and ending discrimination, poverty and war."
Date
2014-12-18
Format
application/pdf
Type
text
Language
en
Identifier
MY_VARIATION_ON_THE_GETTYSBURG_ADDRESS
Text
MY 87TH BIRTHDAY ADDRESS
(with apologies and gratitude to Abraham Lincoln)
Four score and seven years ago, my parents brought forth in the Bronx, a new
infant, conceived in a bedroom on Beck Street, who eventually dedicated himself to the proposition that all people are created equal, and that we should all be committed to equality, and ending discrimination, poverty and war.
Now, as I look back over the past years, I acknowledge with gratitude that I have endured, but with sadness that the proposition to which I am dedicated has not been achieved. On this day, the 18th day of December, I confirm this fact. I look forward to celebrating and giving thanks for my longevity and relatively good health, and hope to continue my commitment to a better world. It is altogether fitting and proper that I should do so.
But in a larger sense, I, alone, can not celebrate, can not dedicate, can not commemorate this day. It must be done in the company of family and friends, who have been part of my life, and who share my values. I bask in their love, receive their good wishes, and look forward to their company.
Together with celebration come dedication and consecration. It is for us to be dedicated to the unfinished work that lies ahead. It is for us to be consecrated to the great tasks that remain. Having celebrated, we must pledge increased devotion to making this a more perfect union, and hopefully, before I reach four score and nine, this nation shall have a new birth of freedom--a new president, a woman and a Democrat, and a new Congress, and that government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Jacob Schlitt
12-18-14
(with apologies and gratitude to Abraham Lincoln)
Four score and seven years ago, my parents brought forth in the Bronx, a new
infant, conceived in a bedroom on Beck Street, who eventually dedicated himself to the proposition that all people are created equal, and that we should all be committed to equality, and ending discrimination, poverty and war.
Now, as I look back over the past years, I acknowledge with gratitude that I have endured, but with sadness that the proposition to which I am dedicated has not been achieved. On this day, the 18th day of December, I confirm this fact. I look forward to celebrating and giving thanks for my longevity and relatively good health, and hope to continue my commitment to a better world. It is altogether fitting and proper that I should do so.
But in a larger sense, I, alone, can not celebrate, can not dedicate, can not commemorate this day. It must be done in the company of family and friends, who have been part of my life, and who share my values. I bask in their love, receive their good wishes, and look forward to their company.
Together with celebration come dedication and consecration. It is for us to be dedicated to the unfinished work that lies ahead. It is for us to be consecrated to the great tasks that remain. Having celebrated, we must pledge increased devotion to making this a more perfect union, and hopefully, before I reach four score and nine, this nation shall have a new birth of freedom--a new president, a woman and a Democrat, and a new Congress, and that government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Jacob Schlitt
12-18-14
Original Format
application/msword
Collection
Citation
Jacob Schlitt, “My 87th Birthday Address (with apologies and gratitude to Abraham Lincoln),” Autobiographical stories & other writing by Jacob Schlitt, accessed May 3, 2024, https://tsirlson.omeka.net/items/show/283.