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The Gettysburg Address Anomaly


Lanfear63

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Anyone here know American history well. In particular the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln?

The opening line is remembered by many as: "Four score and seven years ago our forefathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men" 

It now reads if you google it: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men" 

The video below shows a few examples where it is still quoted as forefathers including a Johnny Cash CD from quite a few years back where he reads it out to backing music.

Your thoughts. 

 

 

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25 minutes ago, Claude Whitacre said:

It's remembered by nobody, because everyone that heard it there is dead. It seems like it should be "forefathers" because that sounds old timey.  Just like it seems like the Monopoly rich guy should have a monocle, because it would go with the top hat. And again, these aren't memories, they are mistakes in observation. 

Consider this, it was a speech that was written down and preserved, you can look it up. If so, then it would difficult  to say Forefathers time and time again if people were reading from source. 

Now watch this short Abbot and Costello TV Clip below

Analysis: The comedian said Forefathers, he had to as it was the whole purpose of the sketch. The other comedian then went into his four fathers rant. So, it was essential that he said it that way as it was a pun on forefathers. The writers of the sketch must have read the address or had it pointed out to them that this being in the address was fair game for a play on words, so the sketch got written and remained as is. If you then invoke alleged Mandela Effect speak you could say that it was protected from eradication from history because if the comedian had said fathers then the sketch would have been totally nonsensical. The other guy, Charles Laughton, had no such restrictions and was just there to reel the address off saying fathers, so the change had worked it's way back in history for him to say. I'm wondering after the show was over, if the two comedians had noticed this and made comment as it somewhat undermined the sketch. 

Of course you could say, well it's all nonsense/coincidence etc and undoubtedly you will. But, interesting none the less. I will say, not being American, I have no prior knowledge of this speech and never had it quoted in school ETC. When I saw it brought up, I questioned the logic of it being Fathers since the events took place 87 years ago from the time spoken, forefathers should be the correct line. 

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1 hour ago, Lanfear63 said:

The writers of the sketch must have read the address or had it pointed out to them that this being in the address was fair game for a play on words, so the sketch got written and remained as is. 

 

 

"Must have"?

The bolded part is the mental leap you are making. Your brain is trying to create a plausible explanation that will still support your Mandela idea. 

You are molding history to fit your Mandela idea. 

 

 

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, Claude Whitacre said:

 

 

"Must have"?

The bolded part is the mental leap you are making. Your brain is trying to create a plausible explanation that will still support your Mandela idea. 

You are molding history to fit your Mandela idea. 

 

 

 

 

 

It would have been perfect if the comedian had said Fathers and then the other one had proceeded to continue with the Four Fathers Rant. But, Nelson and his gang never make things that easy.  

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Here's the thing. I don't know what it is like outside of the U.S., but in the U.S. when people refer to the founders of the country they often say either our founding fathers or our forefathers. Nobody says our fathers when referring to the founders, outside of this speech of course.

This isn't people remembering the speech wrong or anything like that. It is them substituting the phrase they have grown so used to hearing over their entire lives into a place where it logically sounds like it should have been. 

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