Deconstructing Lincoln

I am old enough to remember when we had two holidays in February, instead of the distressingly generic "Presidents' Day." Today is the real birthday of Abraham Lincoln (the other is February 22nd, Washington's birthday). Growing up in California, I got a smattering of history-book lessons about our 16th president, but Bill grew up in Illinois, the quintessential Land of Lincoln, as proclaimed by their license plates.

Being a history buff and growing up near the capital of Springfield, Bill was thoroughly steeped in Lincoln facts and legends. There were elementary school field trips to the re-created village of New Salem, where the future president practiced law, and junior high expeditions to the whole Lincolnalia wing of the state capitol building. They read Lincoln biographies in high school.

Do you know there is actually a convention of Lincolnophiles each year in Springfield, where participants dress up in stovepipe hats and black suits and facial hair?

Now, it seems that the version of history I grew up with surrounding this truly great man is undergoing the typical historical deconstruction, so popular in our society. All this week, I've read articles claiming that he was a secret racist, a tortured soul, a deeply conflicted and even venal and corrupt politician. There is an unseemly tone of glee in these new "revelations," as if tearing down an American icon will somehow make him more human and understandable to our current sensibilities.

What is lacking is true historical context. Viewed in his time and culture, he was an inspired and visionary leader. When placed under the lens of our cynical, secular time, Lincoln becomes a quaint dufus, a mere mortal, no better than our current crop of self-serving politicians, presumably manipulating the citizenry to further his own selfish ambitions.

This is a disservice to us all, I believe. The reality is that in his own time, he was vilified and hated as much as he was loved and respected. (He was called "a baboon" by one of his own cabinet members). While the media delights in calling George W. Bush the most unpopular president ever, the fact is that Lincoln suffered in the hands of the press far more than Bush ever did. It was only in the context of history that his actions and words were vindicated, as he was finally seen as a genuine America hero.

Now the pendulum has swung back, and it's apparently time to tear him down again, with the goal of convincing us all that there are no real heroes in the American story. We will be the poorer for it if these new "histories" prevail.