Thanksgiving Day

It is another Thanksgiving Day. What better message to read than from one of our Founders that started the official holiday. George Washington proclaimed this over 200 years ago.....

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

Black Friday: The blight of the Holiday Season

Well Thanksgiving Day is a distant memory as consumers woke early this morning, or some like I saw yesterday were already sitting outside their favorite box store at noon, to participate in the annual rat race that kicks off the consumerization of Christmas, or for the politically correct, the Holiday Season. The gluttony of deals offered to the savvy consumer is really a farce and an assault on their intelligence. The kicker is that stores, mainly online stores like Amazon, offer better deals than one has come to expect on "Black Friday" but I digress.

Black Friday is a symptom of the ills our society has fallen prey to over the amnesia to the spirit of Christmas. Christmas is about giving and the magical time of the Winter Solstice. The message of the season is lost with the rise of consumerism and the need, or the feeling to need, to provide copious amounts of items to those within ones social circle. In George Will's piece today, he mentions that the utility of Black Friday is really bad for the economy to the tune of $12 billion. So why do consumers become bedazzled by the "Door buster deals" that have become common for the hours following the feasting on Thanksgiving Day.

Some may argue the intrinsic value of watching a child's eyes light up over the plethora of gifts under the tree or the bewilderment as the wrapping paper is torn to reveal the treasure within. What message are we sending our children by this? People plot their course on Black Friday with the same fervor that a coach plans for the Super Bowl. Kare11 even featured three ladies on their evening news broadcast on their strategies to a successful Black Friday shopping tour; complete with diagrams. So, again, why do consumers feel compelled to rack up debt for an activity that produces little utility when simply another form of the lost meaning of the season can be promoted; giving cash?

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!! Today is a day of feasting, watching football, and visiting with family that many of us in the United States take for granted. Estimates have that about 15% of our population will struggle to eat this day due to one reason or another. Be thankful for the bounty you are about to partake and be remindful of the freedoms and liberties you are afforded because of the sacrifices made by the Founding Fathers and those that ensure they remain secure to this day. While the remainder of my words will fall short to mark this day, I turn to our first President of the United States George Washington to inspire us once again.

In a proclamation by President George Washington, printed originally in The Massachusetts Sentinel (http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/firsts/thanksgiving/original.html), given on October 14, 1789, the president articulates the importance of the day like no one else could. As you read it today, think of the message President Washington is conveying and look to how it is applicable today. I hope everyone has a wondering Thanksgiving Day. Be Safe, enjoy your family and most of all Go RAIDERS!!! A small note as you read this sometimes a f is supposed to be a s. I did not change the original score as written.

General Thanksgiving

By President Washington a Proclamation

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington