He belongs to the ages

[Jim Garrett]

So our President has pronounced of Nelson Mandella, "He belongs to the ages". So did he mean ages or angels

[Gene C]

I heard the President clearly. He said ages

[Jim Garrett]

He need more original speech writers.

[Hess1865]

He should just go away

[LincolnMan]

Just think how many will consider Obama's statement profound- not knowing that it was not an original statement but one borrowed from 148 years ago.

[RJNorton]

He need more original speech writers.

And, Jim, sometimes a president's speechwriters don't even get the source right.

President Reagan stood before a nationwide audience at the 1992 Republican National Convention and delivered a speech in which he said:

"I heard those speakers at that other convention saying "we won the Cold War" — and I couldn't help wondering, just who exactly do they mean by "we"? And to top it off, they even tried to portray themselves as sharing the same fundamental values of our party! What they truly don't understand is the principle so eloquently stated by Abraham Lincoln: "You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."

http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/linc...cannot.htm

[Rob Wick]

Just think how many will consider Obama's statement profound- not knowing that it was not an original statement but one borrowed from 148 years ago.

The fact that it was borrowed doesn't lessen the profoundness of the statement. Many of Lincoln's words were borrowed from others and yet we see him as a profound thinker. "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

"And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand." Mark 3:25.

"this hath all the distinctions of a house divided against itself . . " Thomas Paine.

"a kingdom divided in itself cannot stand."
Thomas Hobbes

Best
Rob

[LincolnMan]

That is a valid point Rob-and well taken. My point was primarily that most people will probably not know that the statement isn't original to Obama. Do the members of the media even know where the line came from?

[Rob Wick]

Some will and some won't, but I can't see that being much different than the population at large. If you put the quote into the question of "who said this?" I doubt many people would know who Edwin Stanton even was. We do because we eat, live and breathe this stuff. In my 14 years in newspapers, I met some pretty ignorant reporters but it had nothing to do with their job, but rather with their lack of reading or lack of desire to learn more. And then again, I imagine some people thought the same about me. I once had to ask a meteorologist why it snowed? Stupid question, I know, but I couldn't say in my story the answer he gave me without him actually saying it. We both had a good laugh about it when I explained why I had to do it.

Best
Rob

[LincolnMan]

I agree with your response Rob. Thanks for giving me a smile this morning. Ive been under the weather with a severe cold for the past 3 days. This morning I'm actually starting to feel human again. So- i was just wondering now that you've mentioned it- why does it snow?

[Rob Wick]

Well Bill, when snowmen and snowwomen love each other.....oh wait, that's something else.

Best
Rob

[LincolnMan]

LOL! Let it snow, let it snow!

[L Verge]

Hush your mouth, Bill Nash! SNOW is a four-letter word as far as I'm concerned.

[Gene C]

I'll never look at the falling snow the same way * * * * * *

This reminds me of a song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN7LW0Y00kE
Let it Sno - (that's for Laurie, and to get past Roger's censors)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[LincolnMan]

Sorry about that Laurie. Detroit totally missed the massive snowstorm that hit parts of the USA recently. There is no snow on the ground at all. I'm not complaining, mind you. The starter on my snow-blower went out last year. I kept telling myself that I would get it fixed before this current snow season. Is it fixed? Of course not. Well, at least I know where my snow shovels are.