Because of the fiery trial of the Civil War and what it came to represent, Abraham Lincoln is, to most of us, a figure of moral guidance. This naturally overshadows his almost equally unbelievable accomplishments: how did a poor boy on the frontier without formal schooling manage to teach himself to read, to teach himself the law, and become, in time, the President of the United States?

That doesn’t just happen. No, it was the result of his sheer will and determination. It was also a sign-—the bright spot in what was then a society predicated on injustice—that a meritocracy could work and the results of that meritocracy could shape history forever. 

“I happen temporarily to occupy this big White House,” Lincoln once said to the 166th Ohio Regiment. “I am a living witness that any one of your children may look to come here as my father’s child had. It is in order that each of you may have through this free government which we have enjoyed, an open field and a fair chance for your industry, enterprise and intelligence; that you all have equal privileges in the race of life, with all its desirable human aspirations. It is for this the struggle should be maintained.” 

We have talked before about why we, as fathers, have an obligation to fight against “dream hoarding.” We have talked about how we can’t just think about “our kids” but instead need to care about all kids. Just as America was engaged in a great civil war, so too is the world engaged in an equally great war—a war for opportunity, for fair chances, for freedom. We are struggling to lift the less fortunate out of poverty, to help make sure that other people’s kids—who are just as sweet and loved as our own children—have a shot. They deserve a shot at the White House, a shot to be happy, a shot to realize their aspirations. Everyone’s kids deserve that, not just the ones related to you. 

Yes, we have a lot on our plate with our own family. Yes, we have a lot to worry about. But we can’t neglect this larger fight either. We can’t sit on the sidelines of the civil war without being morally culpable. That’s a fact.

P.S. This was originally sent on June 1, 2020. Sign up today for the Daily Dad’s email and get our popular 11 page eBook, “20 Things Great Dads Do Everyday.”