We have all heard someone describing another as one who has class.

What exactly is class?

The explanation I choose to accept is nothing definite. Class, I’ve heard it said, is if you think you have it, you really don’t.

However, if you see it in another, it’s easy to recognize and admire. It’s how a person acts and reacts — how they treat others and respond to difficult situations that might embarrass others.

Recently I read about President Abraham Lincoln and an incident that happened at a dinner at the White House.

I’m sure most of the people at the gathering thought they had class.

However, when coffee was served, one of the men poured it in his saucer and sipped it.

I’m sure the people there were embarrassed for someone they thought had no class.

President Lincoln, on the other hand, used this time to show his class. Much to the dismay of the others, he poured his coffee in a saucer and did likewise.   

Abraham Lincoln, (1809-1865) the 16th President of these United States, was one of my favorite Americans. He was not afraid to be different at the dinner. That showed class.

He also was the president who dared (against all odds) to lead the fight against slavery.

His decision was not popular at the time, but he wanted to solve an injustice.

This week, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. He, like President Lincoln, was courageous enough to fight for equal rights for all Americans.

I’m sure they would both be grieved that many have not accepted what they fought and died for.

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