Greatest American? (All Over on Page Eight)

[Jamdin]

Tough call but I went with FDR in the end.

 

[Wombat]

I love lists like these, not in and of themselves but rather for the wider debates and thought they engender.

I have this book: The 100: The Most Influential Individuals in History. Now this is a book with thumbnail sketches (2-5 pages) of 100 people who widely influenced the world. As the author is quick to point out, this is not a list of GOOD people or BAD people, simply Influential. I used this book in several history classes to begin discussions on a variety of topics -- the students were sometimes confused, but often interested, even when they did not agree with the conclusions the book came to (for that matter, I don't agree with many of the placements in the book, either).

The point of such books and lists is to help people sort out their own persepectives, feelings, and thought processes. What does one mean by "Influential"? How about "Great"? "American"?

Many of the people on this list deserve praise and notice. I could easily go with Jefferson, King, FDR, Lincoln, and a couple of others. I wouldn't choose JFK, mainly because many signature pieces of legislation he is identified with were actually passed by Johnson in the wake of JFK's assassination. Still, I don't discount him entirely -- he is deserving of praise himself.

In the end I went for Lincoln, though that is a tough call. Mainly I praise the man who penned the words, "With malice towards none, with charity for all". If only we could all live by that credo!

Now back to the discussion in general

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Abraham Lincoln as without him their wouldn't be United States of America and those accomplishments that came later wouldn't have been Americans and the accomplishments of those that came before him wouldn't have mattered as much in retrospect.

And even in death Lincoln accomplished more than some of the above.

 

[Dark Jezter]

I picked George Washington, for reasons that others have listed above.

Also, I'm pleasently surprised that nobody has decided to do a political rant and get the thread shut down.

 

[Desdichado]

Voted for Thomas Jefferson myself. George Washington was a very close second.

I was the exact opposite; I gave the edge to Washington, with Jefferson as a close second and Franklin and Lincoln hovering close at third.

Some of the choices on the list were downright embarrasing. Oprah Winfrey? Give me a break.

 

[Desdichado]

If Lee had taken to fighting a gorilla warfare/terror campaign the war may have ended with the South victorious in their independance.

Why doesn't anyone fight a good gorilla war these days? That would rock! "Silverbacks; into the breach!" Instead, all we get are these nasty guerilla wars...

 

[Digital M@]

Why doesn't anyone fight a good gorilla war these days? That would rock! "Silverbacks; into the breach!" Instead, all we get are these nasty guerilla wars...

I knew I was spelling it wrong, but was too lazy to figure it out, thanks,

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I went with FDR. He led us through a war. He gave thought to redefining America after the war. He drew up the GI Bill of Rights. He fought excrushiating pain throughout all of it, and he refused to quit even when he knew the job was going to kill him. And it did. He died in the line of duty.

 

[Storm Raven]

Rosa Parks paved the way for African-American equal rights.

I'd argue that she walked on a path that Lincoln laid the groundwork for.

I voted for Lincoln, although Jefferson was a close second. Lincoln transformed the United States from what it was before him into what Jefferson aspired for it to be. Jefferson aspirted to a nation where slavery was abolished, but was unwilling to pay the political cost to get there. Lincoln paid the price, and it cost him his life. Lincoln also shepherded the nation through the most dire threat to its existence to date, when others, such as McClellan, would have given in to its dismemberment.

But without Jefferson, there is no Lincoln. Without Jefferson's aspirations, there is no goal to reach. Jefferson loses out just by a hair, because Lincoln made concrete progress to putting into place Jefferson's dreams.

 

[Dagger75]

Looking at who has been voted so far I see good examples of great Americans. Nobody would have to defend any choices or debate anything on why they were chosen. People will always be left off and then others I wonder how they made it on the list. 2 names in particular up there. I am sure they are nice and decent people though.