Lincoln was an avid reader. He always kept a book nearby. He read the newspapers voraciously. He loved books. His favorite books included the Bible and books about his beloved George Washington, especially the biography by Reverend Mason Locke “Parson” Weems.
It was through reading books that Lincoln learned how to speak, but he understood that speaking was useless unless people would actually listen to you. That’s why most of his speeches were filled with anecdotes and stories.
Have you ever considered that Abraham Lincoln became President of the United States because of his ability to find the truth by public discussion. Abe Lincoln was not a governor of any state as were Wilson and Roosevelt. He had only served one uneventful term in Congress. But he achieved his prominence through his debates with Stephen A. Douglas.
One of the virtues our Founding Fathers are known for, is Kindness. Thomas Jefferson was known to receive visitors to the President’s Mansion without prior announcement or request. He was always polite and gracious to his visitors.
Today, February 22, is George Washington’s birthday.
I was a little bit encouraged and heartened by the newscasts today. I’m talking about the treatment and reporting about President’s Day. Two of the popular news show reporters on the evening news, when talking about the holiday actually referred to George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.