If the African-American community also sees the power of the ballot to overcome other historical obstacles such as entrenched poverty, widening wealth, education gaps and safer streets where it's not as easy for a criminal to get a gun as it is to buy a cigarette, then this expansion of its voting power will be a more permanent fixture on the political scene.

CNN: Historic milestone for African-American voters in 2012

As someone deeply troubled by our own recent wars, by the expansion of presidential power in this and the previous administration, watching Lincoln explain his use of war powers or work his political magic to buy votes for the 13th Amendment made me a tiny bit uncomfortable not because I disagreed with him, but because I agreed with his actions.

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