This is Just Wrong In So Many Ways….

Eric:
Wrong indeed, but what do you expect from the book-less bookstore in the Gettysburg-less visitor center? Heck, I suppose we should be happy there’s at least something in the shop pertaining to the Civil War, warped though it may be. Last time I was there, and I mean LAST TIME, the place was full of ceramic pumpkins, teddy bears, candles and such. There was a Civil War battle at Gettysburg, wasn’t there? Sorry to rant, but I just can’t get over just how bad the new facility truly is. What a shame.

Randy

Hi Eric,

What seems to be the problem with this shirt? Am I wrong in simply assuming that Lincoln is pulling off a modern dance move or am I missing something else?

Ok, so who is handling the purchases for the store? Somebody straight off the shelf from college with no real appreciation for history, or a hardcore business person who knows what kids in school groups will really buy? I think that one of those two answers are behind the shirt.

Unfortunately this is no surprise. When building ths visitor center we were promised more storage and display room, this did not happen. We were promised a unique and different selection of books not found elsewhere, this did not happen. We were promised a more engaging atmosphere, geared towards better understanding of the battle at Gettysburg, this did not happen. It is very sad for all, especially those of us who visit repeatedly year after year.

Andy Walters

Really strange shirt. So Lincoln is only relevant for this generation because he listens to an ipod? I think it would’ve been better if it would have depicted him playing an X-Box 360 or watching the final episode of ‘Lost’ on Television. I think he should be relevant to new generations by his actions and words not because he could now play around with gizmos and gadgets.
Chris

Kevin,

I don’t have a problem with the shirt at all, and in fact, think it’s kind of funny. If it was being sold at a private gift shop outside the park, as opposed to the visitor center, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. But the fact it is being sold at the gift shop gives the impression, right or wrong, that the park thinks you it has to make history “cool” for the kids. That evokes parodies of the beleaguered inner city teacher who has to modernize Shakespeare to make it relevant.

With that said, if the Eisenhower Museum ever sells a T-shirt with the motto “I want to be like Ike” portraying Eisenhower hanging from the rim after a slam dunk, I’m buyin’!

Chris

I agree Chris. I think it’s a form of dumbing down of our history to make it ‘too cool for school’.
Chris

It is a take off of the i-tunes logo that had Bono making the same move. I see it as harmless.

No, it’s just a t-shirt. LOL

Dancing With the Stars . . . ?

Not a big fan of the shirt either – and I’m a younger Lincoln fan. It’s not just the design. The problem is that Event Network (which owns the gift shop both at the ALPM here in Springfield and at the Gettyburg visitors center now) is basically the Wal-Mart of gift shops. They basically sell corporate-designed stuff made in China and they do not support local art *at all*. I don’t think Lincoln would approve of that.

It’s even worse that it’s in shops that appear to be sanctioned by the government (the ALPM is owned by the state of Illinois). The government shouldn’t be sanctioning this kind of thing. If it was clearly private I wouldn’t have as much of a problem.

As a teacher, I like this shirt. I like that it ddepicts a Lincoln that is approachable for a younger generation. Lincoln’s thoughts and ideas are timeless, and the caption on the shirt, “Lincoln for all Geneartions” epitomizes this. I agree with those who have said that Lincoln would no doubt have an iPod if he were around today – He enjoyed theater, he enjoyed new gadgets, and contrary to what isdepicted in most picgtures, he was not always so serious. Is it ‘dumbing down’ history, or is it a way to get yonger people to think of history in a different way and maybe actually get into it?