"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." - President Ronald Reagan
Alberta and Ontario go rogue on trade: Over the weekend, a couple of messages came down from Canada. First, it was Premier Doug Ford of Ontario and then Premiere Danielle Smith of Alberta. Here is the story:
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is echoing concerns about Mexico that we...
Over the weekend, a couple of messages came down from Canada. First, it was Premier Doug Ford of Ontario and then Premiere Danielle Smith of Alberta. Here is the story:
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is echoing concerns about Mexico that were expressed earlier this week by Ontario’s premier, saying she hopes Canada can get a “carve-out” from import tariffs that president-elect Donald Trump is promising.
Smith told her provincewide radio call-in program Saturday that advice she received from Robert Lighthizer, Trump’s former trade chief, was that governments north of the border should take a “Canada first” approach, noting Mexico was inviting investment from China.
She said that was undercutting the manufacturing sector in both the U.S. and Canada.
Ford on Tuesday issued a statement saying that since signing on to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Mexico has allowed itself to become a back door for Chinese cars, auto parts and other products into Canadian and American markets.
Canada first? Wonder what inspired that? Both would consider an agreement with Mexico directly but want out of this current deal. No word yet from PM Justin Trudeau or the other provinces.
What is driving all this is the growing relationship between China and Mexico — the fear that Chinese products will have a “Made in Mexico” label slapped on them and brought to the U.S. and Canada. You may recall that Trump mentioned this during the campaign in the context of electric cars.
The larger picture here is interesting. The U.S. has clearly moved to the right. By all accounts, a conservative prime minister will soon replace PM Trudeau. Down in Mexico, a very leftist “presidenta” is running things now.
The word from Ontario and Alberta will strengthen Trump’s hand when he negotiates with Mexico. It may get Mexico to reconsider its relationship with China to save the more reliable economic partners to the north. Well, I don’t know, but time will tell.
Gene Tierney was born on this day in 1921. Her father was a very successful insurance broker and Gene had a chance to study in Connecticut and Switzerland. She played many famous roles: Martha Strable Van Cleve in "Heaven Can Wait" (1943),
Isabel Bradley Maturin in "The Razor's Edge" (1946),
Lucy Muir in "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (1947), Ann Sutton in "Whirlpool" (1949), Maggie Carleton McNulty in "The Mating Season" (1951), and Anne Scott in "The Left Hand of God" (1955). My favorite is "Laura". She was nominated for best actress in that role from the 1944 movie.
Campy, as he was known, turned into one of the greatest catchers of his era. He was the NL MVP in 1951, 1953 & 1955 when the Dodgers finally beat the Yankees in the World Series.
His career abruptly ended after a car crash left him paralyzed in early 1958. Coincidentally, it happened months after the Dodgers played their last game in Brooklyn and moved to Los Angeles.
"Four score 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 battle-field 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 can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not 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." (Abraham Lincoln Online)
My late great Uncle Joaquin was a judge, college professor, an attorney and a big fan of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
He was a young boy when Cuba became independent in 1902.
Like so many of his generation, he was born in the island when it was a Spanish colony, saw the US occupation (1898-1902) and then cheered May 20, 1902 when it became an independent nation. I can recall some of his stories about Cuban flags flying and people celebrating the moment.
He would also have a hard time understanding President Obama's absence for the 150th anniversary.
My great uncle would ask: "What else is more important"?
In fact, he was such a fan that my brother and I got to sit at his home study and hear him recite it in English & Spanish.
We were too young back in Cuba to appreciate his message. It took me a while, and relocation to this wonderful country, to understand it and to love each and every word.
Here it is. I can still hear my great uncle reciting it and telling me that it was the greatest speech ever delivered:
"Four score 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 can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not 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."
It’s Gettysburg Address Day and another time to remember my late great “Tio Joaquin Ramos”. He was my grandmother’s brother and another distinguished citizen of Sagua La Grande.
Before 1959, Tio Joaquin was a judge, law college professor, an attorney and a big fan of President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
Here it is. I can still hear my great uncle reciting it and telling me that it was the greatest speech ever delivered:
“Four score 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 can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not 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.”
To say the least, I can see my late great uncle giving me “thumbs up” from heaven for this post about his favorite speech. He loved it and I’ve grown to love it, too.
We used to memorize things back in our Catholic school days.
As a kid in Cuba, my late great Uncle Joaquin, a judge, law professor and the biggest fan of Lincoln in the planet, used to impress us with his memorization of The Gettysburg Address. He would recite every line and tell us what it all meant to him.
President Lincoln delivered the greatest American speech on this day in 1863:
“Using just 272 words, Lincoln articulated the meaning of the Civil War for a public that had grown weary of the conflict.
For some time, Lincoln had been planning to make a public statement on the significance of the war and the struggle against slavery.
In early November, he received an invitation to speak at the dedication of part of the Gettysburg battlefield, which was being transformed into a cemetery for the soldiers who had died in battle there from July 1 to July 3, 1863.”
The speech was very quick, very quick by modern standard. He spoke for a few minutes but the impact was huge.
“Four score 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 battle-field 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 can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not 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.”
Looking back, this address was shorter than most but significant like few ever said. It explained the whole reason for preserving the Union. It explained a big part of what it means to be an American. It should live in our hearts and minds as we celebrate the 153rd anniversary of this day.
And of course, I remember my late great Uncle getting all inspired to recite the speech.
