150-Years And 272 Words Later

One-hundred and fifty years ago this week President Abraham Lincoln spoke 272 words in his Gettysburg Address. That is how many words people from all over the world were asked to write in celebration of the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, including Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman.

“We’ve asked people from all over the world. It gives them a voice and an opportunity to write in the spirit of Lincoln,” said Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation CEO Carla Knorowski. The shortness of the essays “is the beauty of the project. People love the challenge.”

(Photo by Fred Zwicky/Journal Star)

Here is how CAT’s Doug Oberhelman used his 272 words:

"When you stand up for what you believe in, you ruffle some feathers. Today as a country, we can’t seem to agree on anything – it’s Republicans versus democrats, business versus government, and state versus state. We think our problems are just too big and nothing can be done.

We can’t make everyone happy with each critical decision, so instead we do nothing. But sometimes we need to step back and look how far we’ve come. We need to look back at a leader whose situation had to seem insurmountable.

Our country was truly divided one hundred and fifty years ago. We were literally at war with each other and battling for something that is at our very core as Americans-freedom. We are a great country today because President Lincoln stood up for what’s right. At the time, half the country hated him. Half the country so violently disagreed with him, that they literally put their lives on the line to fight against what he believed. But he was steadfast. Today he is one of the most beloved leaders in our country’s history — he’s certainly our favorite here in Illinois.

Today, in 2013, I’d like all leaders to remember what President Lincoln’s leadership provided all Americans and what other countries dream about. Be brave. Stand up for what’s right. We need leaders who can make the tough decisions with integrity. We can’t make everyone happy, but we can make a difference. We can continue to build on Lincoln’s legacy and make our state and our country great for years to come.”