Hearing Obama’s ringing words at Philadelphia’s Constitution Center today put me in mind of another great speech by another great speaker: Abraham Lincoln’s Cooper Union address.

Readers, I invite you to compare and contrast these speeches, both by sons of Illinois (and both of whom were born elsewhere), both of which deal with race, change, and the need to reconcile differences (peacefully or otherwise). Much has changed since then, yet many of the same issues still need addressing.