How would you start a conversation on Lincoln's War?

[littlecanoe]

If you guys were going to start a conversation say, that were limited on time, what questions would you throw out to get the other guy to think about the reality of our losses of freedom since Mr. Lincoln?

How would you plant seeds and which seeds would you focus on?

[gwindrider1]

littlecanoe,

I find your premise very interesting, however, I have not come up with any productive suggestions.

Considering that most people alive today think that the war was started over the issue of slavery, which we know it was not, it seems to me to be a tough row to hoe.  If you can get people to look past the slavery issue, you might get some epiphanies going.  I wish you the best luck with this.

[littlecanoe]

Thanks gwr,

I asked you guys because you're interested.  I'll agree that it is a hard row to hoe. 

OK fellas.  If we make parallels with the Revolution is there enough there to get people thinking?  In my mind the same war was fought twice with two different outcomes.  Is that an angle from which to attack?

[Ga.windbreak]

If you guys were going to start a conversation say, that were limited on time, what questions would you throw out to get the other guy to think about the reality of our losses of freedom since Mr. Lincoln?

How would you plant seeds and which seeds would you focus on?

The very first question I would ask is what that person thinks about the Patriot act in relation to the things Lincoln did to the Constitution. Do they agree that its OK to lose civil liberties to be more secure? And are we really more secure or just less free?

My guess is that most people have little or no idea of the scope that Lincoln took in taking away our civil liberties. Few know of the more than 300 newspapers shut down or the between 15,000 - 35,000 people placed in military stockades without any trial or the hope of ever seeing the light of day again. Overtaking two duly elected State governments and replacing them by force. Signing the arrest warrant for the arrest of the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. All of this and his answer was " It's better to lose an arm or a leg than to let the whole body die." That was his justification for gutting the Constitution, the very thing that he was sworn to uphold and defend with his life.