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From Our Own Correspondent: United States of America

United States of America

25/11/2013

BBC World Service - From Our Own Correspondent, United States of America

The Gettysburg Address, JFK's murder and the present, and American football's troubles

What links are there between the Gettysburg Address, John F Kennedy's murder and the present? And, will concerns over concussions cause the demise of American football?

It is 150 years since US President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address, whose famous lines reminded listeners, for example, that "all men are created equal". And, it is 50 years since President John F Kennedy was murdered. The two anniversaries are linked, says Allan Little, and what links them - rows over how far federal government should reach, and the explosive politics of race  - still pertains today. 

Mike Wendling goes to an American football match in his home town Buffalo in New York state. He enjoys the traditional rituals like the tailgate party prior to the game, or the cheerleaders during it, but he also wonders whether newer concerns over the long-term health impacts of repeated concussions that many players suffer, may spell the beginning of the end for the game. 

(Picture: Abraham Lincoln's hand-written speech known as the Gettysburg Address. Credit: US Library of Congress)

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