Zero Six with Lincoln: A humbling reminder of our nation’s promise to uphold integrity and unity

A house divided against itself cannot stand” ~ Abraham Lincoln

The 2024 presidential election is approaching fast and will be upon us in just a few short months. My generation has never seen such tumultuous times globally. The war in Eastern Europe threatening our NATO allies’ security, the conflict between Israel and Hamas resulting in thousands dead and a famine crisis, China’s aggression on Taiwan which could imply devastating impacts to the global economy and our own southern border insecurity with thousands of undocumented immigrants crossing daily are all reasons we must elect the strongest leader with the most UNWAVERING integrity. The next four years our president should be ready to make decisions that hold consequences our children and grandchildren will be the bearers of right or wrong, for a lifetime. My greatest expectation for our president is that he or she places the generational needs of this country’s youths before their own contemporary desires. A leader who lives their life with compassion for others regardless of ethnicity, color of skin or religion. At this critical time in our nation’s history we need a courageous leader that can combat divisive networks and unite a country which seems to be growing apart. We need a leader to stand in the face of adversity and lead this nation through our most complex national security issues, enforce new climate change policies, combat domestic left and right extremist organizations and stabilize relationships or deter countries we view as threats. Everyone has their own interpretation of what this country needs most right now and the values or demeanor they believe our president should possess. I believe our future president, our leader for the next four years, needs integrity as their guiding principle for decision making with a demeanor that considers generational consequences.

In March, my family and I spent the weekend in Washington DC. We walked around the national mall, spent some time at the Vietnam Wall and the Korean War Memorial. We quickly rushed through the Lincoln Memorial because of the large crowds, but on the return walk, we passed Ford’s Theater and the house where Lincoln passed away. I’ve visited this exact site at least four times in my life and I never lose my fascination with the history that took place. The fact Lincoln exited through those exact doors, carried across that exact path and carried through that exact front entrance is wild to me. I’ve always loved American history, but particularly the decisive events that took place to help shape the country we live in today. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the appointment of Ulysses S. Grant to presidency four years later undoubtedly left their mark in history. We would be living in a much different country today if these men did not accept the challenges they faced, or succumbed to the pressures of a nation divided at the time.

As I always do at least once on vacation, I went for an early run before my family woke for the day. I knew my route before I started, I wanted to see the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial one last time. While there, midway through my pushups, I had time to think about the courage Lincoln and Grant must have needed to stand up in the face of adversity and fight for what they believed in. If it had not been for Lincoln, perhaps no one would have had the fortitude to confront the secessionist leaders of the confederacy. Had it not been for Grant, perhaps no one would have had the perseverance to continue to unite and repair a divided country post civil war. Both faced daunting tasks. Both men put their names and reputations on the line for the sake of future generations of our country. Both men were willing to put their lives and others on the line for future generations of our country. Amongst other strong character traits, integrity stands out to me as their guiding principle for strength, perseverance and commitment to future generations united.

What I admire most about Lincoln and Grant is that they didn’t betray their moral principles under pressure of friends, rivals or for political motives to gain votes, endorsements, or to boost their own reputation. They began and ended their political careers fighting for generational equality, national security and unity standing on the same principles they started with. They deemed unity their number one priority and applied methods that ensured character integrity to reach their goals. The problems they faced in the mid 1800s were enormous and unique, but also very similar to many of the issues we are facing today. Most contemporary issues we face today cannot be compared to the issues of the 1800s, but similarly we are living in a contentious nation which is seeming to drift further apart. Similar to the 1800s, the countries we view as threats are helping to drive a stake between any partisan collaboration. Like the mid 1800s, we are living in a nation today with extremist organizations that challenge national policy, laws and bills that protect us. Most similar to the years of Lincoln and Grant, we are at a decisive moment in our nation’s history in which every minute counts and every decision could have lasting effects that the next several generations will have to shoulder. The future president must prioritize unity, bringing this country together again using methods that prove their unwavering integrity.

I’m coming up on the 20 year anniversary since my first deployment to Iraq. As a 23 year old, I witnessed first hand the atrocities of war. The hardships it put on families. I saw homes get destroyed and families say goodbye to their loved ones for the last time. I sit here now several years later as a father, concerned and scared that if we don’t choose our next president wisely, the individual dedicated to unity and integrity, my children will be fighting this nation’s next conflict. My boys are a lot like me, they’ll want to fight for their country because they understand the meaning of freedom and greatness of our country. We’re raising them to appreciate the freedoms they have and how quickly those rights can be taken away. The only way we can prevent sending the next generation of men and women to war is by getting perhaps the biggest decision we’ve ever faced correct, selecting the right president in 2024.