Lincoln and Friends [Ethically Speaking

Abstract

The other day, an old friend (I had not seen in many years) and I leisurely rode 60 km on our bikes, while enjoying the beautiful scenery of Colorado. Along the way, we remi nisced and solved most of the world's problems. My friend mentioned that he had just read a great book about Abraham Lincoln. That book converted him into a Lincoln admirer. I said that I always had admired Lincoln, and gave him a few of my reasons: 1. When Lincoln wrote or spoke, it was short, to the point, and extremely intelligent. His most famous speech was the Gettysburg Address. He wrote it on the train ride from Washington, DC, to Gettysburg. The great orator, Edward Everett, was the warmup speaker. He gave an eloquent two-hour speech that nobody remembers, while Lincoln talked for a couple of minutes, and it is the most remembered speech in US history. 2. Lincoln surrounded himself with staff that had opinions different from his own. His staff members were often his enemies. Who takes this approach today? Our leaders often only see or hear one side of an issue. 3. He made important decisions based upon ethical and moral convictions, rather than personal gain.