Play The Game Like Men

Posted by Unknown On Thursday, May 10, 2012 0 comments
It was only this evening that I discovered that Abraham Lincoln's speech delivered at the site of one of the Civil War's pivotal battles was only 265 words long. Meaningful, engaging and succinct, it is likely that he took less than four minutes to delver this memorable speech where he pleaded with his countrymen to pay tribute to Gettysburg's fallen heroes by honoring principles of liberty and equality - for which the heroes sacrificed their lives.

Here's the speech popularly known as the Gettysburg Address that Abraham Lincoln delivered on 19th November 1863.

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.


Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.


But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

You can listen to Denzel Washington giving his speech as Coach Herman Boone in Remembering the Titans. Perhaps the time has come for us all to come together, see each other as Malaysians and be true men/women of valour instead of relishing disagreements and conflicts.



Transcript of the speech:


Anybody know what this place is? This is Gettysburg. This is where they fought the Battle of Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fightin' the same fight that we're still fightin' amongst ourselves today.


This green field right here was painted red, bubblin' with the blood of young boys, smoke and hot lead pourin' right through their bodies. Listen to their souls, men:


'I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family.'


You listen. And you take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together, right now, on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed -- just like they were. I don't care if you like each other or not. But you will respect each other. And maybe -- I don't know -- maybe we'll learn to play this game like men.



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