I'm not going to wish anybody a happy Thanksgiving.
I'm going to wish that everyone stop to consider everything they've got, and really be thankful.
In his 1945 "Notes on Nationalism", the English writer Eric Blair (George Orwell) wrote that "Those who ‘abjure’ violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf," which is often misquoted as "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Some of us have been privileged to undertake that lonely and often misunderstood watch; others have sons and daughters, nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters still on duty. Be thankful you made it back. Be thankful for those who served in your place, especially those who didn't come home. Be thankful for those are still protecting our way of life.
Be thankful that we live in a country that, despite if egregious faults to numerous to list, stands head and shoulders above and nation on this planet, either current or past. Despite all our justified complaints about the outrages committed against our rights, we sill live in the only country that holds as part of its founding principles the right of everyone to obtain, possess and use arms for our protection and the protection of our rights, without attempting to limit this fundamental right to those of particular class, religion or status. Be thankful for groups such as GOAL, the NRA, JPFO, GOA, SAF and CCRKBA that work to defend and expand those rights.
Be thankful for the the wisdom of the founders in insisting on the right of every individual to hold, practice and preach whatever religious beliefs he or she might hold, including the belief that there are no gods and that religion is stupid. There have been periodic populist movements pushing one social policy or another based on some particular set of religious beliefs, and there seem to be endless rants and hand-wringing about some feared theocracy, we still live in a country where no religion, whether orthodox, heterodox, heretical or atheistic, is either established or prohibited.
Look around you and be thankful for the freedom to dream, create, and seek personal wealth that have worked together to give us health, comfort and material well-being undreamed of by even the wealthiest person on Earth during their great-grandparent's time. Despite all the concern expressed by those concerned about inequality and pollution, we live in a country where the poorest person lives a life better than all but the richest did just a century ago. They live in more comfortable surroundings, work shorter hours in safer conditions, get better medical care and live longer, healthier lives. In contrast to the constant chicken-little cries about pollution and the environment, we breath cleaner air than we did 20 or 50 or 100 years ago, drink cleaner, safer water, and can enjoy more forests and wildlife than out parents or grandparents could. Think about it and give thanks.
Recognize that you don't have to look forward to the very real chances of your children or grandchildren dying before they learn to walk; yourself, your wives, sisters or daughters dying in childbirth; or your older children being crippled by polio or similar diseases, and be thankful.
Okay, you get the point. Think about it and you'll have a really happy Thanksgiving.
Ken
![[cheers]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/018.gif "Cheers [cheers]")
