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The Civil War for the Soul of the Nation
An essay about hate
The First American Civil War ended when Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia on April 9th, 1865.
The fight was over, but America was full of bitter hate.
President Lincoln gave his final public address on April 11th, calling for Reconstruction, not Retribution.
“No one man has authority to give up the rebellion for any other man. We simply must begin with, and mould from, disorganized and discordant elements.”
He was shot dead on April 15th.
On September 1st, 2022, another American President gave a speech about “The Battle for the Soul of the Nation,” but this one was far more sinister.
Under the ethics laws of the United States, there is, and ought to be, a general prohibition against elected officials of the federal government using public resources for campaign purposes.
This ethical requirement applies to Presidents, too.
They’re not supposed to use the FBI and Department of Justice to harass their political opponents, they don’t have the Constitutional authority to “forgive” half a trillion dollars of student loans, and they’re not supposed to make campaign speeches disguised as official addresses.
