One of the most difficult challenges to accept and do is change. One of the most complicated things about changing is adapting to the transformation of things. People struggle to get to where they are and some people do not struggle as much as others. Just like individual people, our nation has struggled in several ways to develop into what it is today. As time has passed, many of the struggles Abraham Lincoln emphasized in his speech “ Second Inaugural Address” have not yet been accomplished. Lincoln appointed things he wanted to achieve, such as creating unity in the countries to make a strong nation, ending discrimination, and also he desired for everyone would be able to live in peace no matter what side they were on, and sadly there has not been much progress.
In his timeless rhetoric book, "The Gettysburg Address," Lincoln fervently conveyed his aspiration to assemble a strong united nation, a goal that still eludes complete fulfillment. During the tumultuous period of the Civil War, the nation witnessed a harrowing divide as the North and the South clashed in a conflict that deeply impacted the union. Reflecting upon this in his "Second Inaugural Address," Lincoln articulated, "Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish…" This rhetoric essay not only underscores Lincoln's belief in the imperative of citizens working together to forge a better nation but also acknowledges the challenges inherent in pursuing progress when divergent desires complicate the path towards unity. Such challenges find resonance even in contemporary times, as seen in the article "Politico," where the 17 appointed lawmakers convene in a special conference committee, yet fail to reach an agreement during their inaugural meeting on the contentious issue of funding President Donald Trump's proposed border wall. This striking parallel to the Civil War underscores the reluctance on both sides to finance the wall, while President Trump remains steadfast in his determination to address the immigration crisis. The rhetoric essay's message continues to reverberate, emphasizing the critical need for both sides to engage in dialogue and find a compromise. Without such an agreement, the resolution of the problem remains elusive, hindering the long-awaited unity of the nation.
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Even though Slavery had ended, Lincoln wanted to make sure that discrimination was completely over and vanished. Discrimination has been and will always be a tremendous problem in our nation. According to Lincoln “ one-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves… Those slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest…” Even though slavery can decrease as little as it can, it will not ever completely end and this will not let discrimination end either. The article “ USA Today” mentions how “the majority of the world’s modern slavery in 2016 took the form of forced labor, which accounts for about 24.9 million of modern slavery victims.” As time goes by slavery continues, and it will sadly never come to an end because there are people who feel superior to others. Therefore, all of this discrimination leads to a country with no equality.
Lincoln’s goal was also to provide peace to the whole nation, even if they were on the North or South side. The main goal after Civil War was to benefit the people and to help the citizens have a better life. Lincoln stated, “ Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.” Lincoln desired for the Civil War to pass as fast as it can because he wanted the people to feel safe and enjoy life. According to an article “By Politico”, it states “ Fresh off the longest government shutdown in the U.S history, Trump has signaled that he is prepared to shut down the government again if the bipartisan committee fails to craft a deal that satisfies his border security demands.” The nation certainly can not be at peace if some of the most significant and main rights of the citizens mentioned in the Bill of Rights are taken away.
The Second Inaugural Address was a speech that was meant to share a tone of hopeful message among a nation that was divided into two. This speech marked a new era for the citizens of the United States as it was the start of Lincoln’s second term. Lincoln desired to make his second term better than the first. He wanted the people to live in a place in which every citizen is united as a nation, free of any type of discrimination, and last but not least, able to live in peace and happiness how they desire. Lincoln’s desires were not achieved because until this day the nation is not united because of all of the chaos of our new president. Another of Lincoln’s goals that is not achieved is citizens living without being discriminated against in any way, this was not accomplished because, in some parts of the United States, there is still racism and people who believe they are superior to others. Lincoln’s goal of people living in peace also, has not been accomplished since there are terrorists and things that make citizens fearful of actually doing what they desire. All in all, our nation is as broken as it used to be, the only way our nation is going to get better and we are going to be able to accomplish all of Lincoln’s goals is by living freely and happily as long as we do not interfere with other’s happiness.
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