Neither am i the means to any end others may wish to accomplish. i am not a tool for their use. i am not a servant of their needs. i am not a bandage for their wounds. i am not a sacrifice on their altars. i am a man. this miracle of me is mine to own and keep, and mine to guard, and mine to use, and mine to kneel before! the imagery of servitude and sacrifice reinforces the theme that the moral purpose of a person’s life is to
a. seek his or her own happiness.
b. serve a higher power.
c. fight against oppression for all mankind.
d. reject selfish desires.

the correct answer is option d. the nature of democracy. on november 19, 1863, president abraham lincoln delivered his famous gettysburg address in gettysburg, pennsylvania. in his speech, rather than focusing on details of the war (soldiers, casualties, aftermath of battle), lincoln invoked the very nature of democracy, that power ultimately comes from the people, when stating, “government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish”. these words mean that democracy is a government by the people (citizens) in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by the people or by their elected representatives for the benefit of all citizens. the survival of democracy in the united states is one of the reasons why this speech so significant today.