Via Facilis

"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity."
Dr. Martin Luther King, jr.
August 28, 1963

The great civil rights leader, the great student of the human condition, spoke these words in that awesome, brilliantly crafted linguistic/political/ cultural/racial/societal/literary tour de force he gave in 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. A master of powerful language, his words both riveting and moving. The breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding that eminate from his speech, the control of language, the myriad allusions to biblical, historical, literary figures and pieces all come together to take the reader's (now, listener's once upon a time) breath away. King was a master communicator, a uniter, not a divider, always seeking the common ground: articulate, eloquent, passionate, measured.

So, too, was Lincoln - the man, not the memorial.

A hundred years before Martin Luther King, jr. spoke his words, Abraham Lincoln, perhaps the greatest president the United States has ever had, gave his second inaugural address:

"On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came." - Abraham Lincoln
March 4, 1865

The Preacher.
The President.

Avatars of the power of the word.

No wonder they killed them.

Don McLean, singer and song writer of that rock classic American Pie, has a poignant set of lyrics about Vincent van Gogh, the profoundly gifted, profoundly troubled artist, that could apply to both these men:

"Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will...

"But I could have told you, Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you."

In place of "Vincent" write "Abe".
Or "Martin."

Yesterday I received a rather humbling email from a friend and colleague. Here is some of what the email - and the author - said.

"Hey Richard,

I started reading a book today and came across a quote that immediately reminded me of you.

--Latin, chaval. No hay lenguas muertas sino cerebros aletargados.
--Latin, my boy. There is no such thing as dead languages only dormant minds.
(Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Sombra del Viento)

Smiling? I thought I heard your voice when I was reading it."

Matt Kostakis

It speaks for itself.

I needn't say more, except,

"I was indeed."
Smiling, that is.

drg

Yes, it does.
True, lots of folks shy away from it.
Not all.
But most.

Too bad.
Because it is fascinating.

"What do you mean?"
"Exactly."
"Exactly what?"
"That, too."
"Come on...."
"Okay. Grammar allows you to understand the relationship between words. It allows you to say what you say, and mean what you say, and say what you mean, and mean what you mean."
"It does?"
"We've been through this before, you know."
"Have we?"
"before this through been know you we've."
"What? I don't understand."
"Why not? Everything I just said was an English word."
"It was?"
"Straight damn."
"Straight what? don't you mean, 'Damn straight'?"
"Why would I mean that?"
"Because 'straight damn' doesn't mean anything."
"Why not?"
"Because it's backwards."
"How do you know it's backwards?"
"Because 'Damn Straight' Means something."
"So, can I say 'a nice day is it I think'?"
"You can, but it makes more sense if you say 'I think it's a nice day.'"
"Oh, so word order means something in English?"
"It means everything!"
"Guess what, buddy."
"What?"
"Word order in English is grammar."
"It is?"
"Yeah. Still think grammar is boring?"
"But it makes you think about every little thing!"
"Oh. So thinking about every little thing is a problem?"
"I didn't say that. It just should be easier."
"Easier? Oh, you don't want to think too hard? Or is being thoughtful problematic?"
"I didn't say that."
"Yeah, you did. You just want to speak without thinking, is that it?"
"Why do I have to know how sentences make sense?"
"Who said anything about sentences?"
"You did."
"No, I didn't. But let's get one thing clear: Every time you have a conversation with anybody, you are having a grammatical exchange."
"I am?"
"How do you know what someone is saying?"
"I speak the language."
"And a language is a bunch of patterns."
"Yes."
"A bunch of recognizable patterns."
"yes."
"And the patterns are predictable."
"Yes."
"That's grammar, baby."
"But why do I have to be analytical about something I already know?"
"Ever see a really gifted athlete?"
"Sure."
"Did every gifted athlete you ever met always excel and make it to the very top?"
"No. Not unless they worked at it."
"Right. And why would they do that?"
"Because they knew that having the talent was only part of the process."
"Exactly. Now think about that in terms of language."
"Ohhhhh. I see. I think."
"For you good."