It started, innocently enough, when we played a video, shown before the Super Bowl, featuring the reading of the Declaration of Independence … then, we thought about the National Anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance, the Preamble … the Gettysburg Address … Anyway … the idea was, how often do we see, hear, or read these great documents, from which our nation, and, yes, our way of life, sprang?
I can remember, not that long ago, when, in school, we always had to memorize the Declaration (or at least parts of it), the Preamble to the Constitution … and, the Gettysburg Address, for example.
What about now?
Then, from “out of the blue,” I received an email from a friend at New Hampshire Public Television:
Guess what?
From “out of nowhere,” a new movement has started … begun by master film-maker Ken Burns.
The national effort is to get as many citizens as possible to memorize, and recite, the Gettysburg Address. The movement sprang from a film which Mr. Burns was putting together, highlighting the efforts of a group of students at a small school in Putney, Vermont.
Here is a statement from New Hampshire Public Television:
“To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, filmmaker Ken Burns, NHPTV, PBS and other organizations have launched a national effort to encourage everyone in America, especially students, to record their recitation of Abraham Lincoln’s famous speech.”
The goal is have as many citizens as possible, record their recitation of The Address, and then upload it to YouTube.
To support the effort, we are putting the link, which will take you directly to the NHPTV website’s “Learn the Address New Hampshire,” where you will find information about the national effort, notes about the Address itself, and info about Ken Burns’ new film. You’ll be able to view a wide variety of individuals, from both the public and private sector, who have accepted the challenge, and recorded/uploaded their own recitation of “The Address.”
I encourage you to enjoy this unique and uplifting opportunity … and, there will also be a link to where you can download your own copy of The Gettysburg Address.
Blessings,
R.V.R.
Here’s the direct link:
Link to NHPTV Home Page for “The Address”
pastorappreciationblog.com 