Things to be thankful for

As we enter the frenzy of the holiday season, it helps to some time to reflect on what we really have to be thankful for. As you read this, Thanksgiving, replete with the usual football games and shopping frenzies, is upon us.

The original Thanksgiving was a celebration of the turning point of the first settlers at Plymouth Rock. After two years of a program where everyone worked for the “collective” (aka socialism) and nearly starved as a result, the Pilgrims celebrated success after the leaders decided everyone should work on their own behalf. The tradition continued although you probably won’t find this version taught in revisionist textbooks in public school. I derived much of it from journals. Sadly, even Thanksgiving is subject to accusations of racism. History is history. It may be messy and not politically correct but we should still acknowledge it.

I am thankful for our sitting president. He might be controversial, he might say things in a manner that some don’t see as presidential and he might tweet way too much. That said, I think he is an honest man with a strong belief in the greatness of our country. He has shown himself to have the backbone and temerity to stand up to other countries with their hands out constantly. He stays strong despite constant attacks against him from the “deep state” and those who fear him. We are seeing glimpses of just how morally corrupted our government actually is. Hopefully it will become clearer as time goes on.

We should be thankful that by circumstance of birth we are able to live in a nation that is still the freest in the world, one that others many times face great peril to come to. No other country offers the rights and privileges that we have, even if it seems that the difference between a right and a privilege becomes blurred.

We should be thankful for our Constitution. Yes, that “outdated” document written 232 years ago, if properly interpreted and followed, has created the country that offers unequaled freedom and opportunity. In their infinite wisdom, our founders made provisions for amendments to the Constitution to change those things that don’t work or become outdated. That is what should be meant by a living document.

I am thankful for freedom of expression. In this age of national media suspected of corruption on a par with government, I am thankful that smaller media outlets can have a voice. These include NewsMax, Rush Limbaugh, One America Network, Prager U, and Mark Levin on Blaze TV. Without those voices only leftist indoctrination would remain.

On that note, I am thankful there are still education outlets that choose not to indoctrinate students with socialist ideas. Most notable of those is Hillsdale College. So committed are they to good education, they offer free online courses about the Constitution and history to anyone who wants to invest the time. I recommend that investment.

I am thankful to live in a country that allows freedom of religion. Although that statement has been perverted to also mean freedom from religion, nowhere else can anyone freely practice their beliefs or lack thereof. Major wars have been fought throughout history for the right to practice a particular belief. Thankfully, in this country, with the exception of radical terrorist acts, most of those battles are in the courtroom. The Constitution makes that possible.

I am thankful for a family that is diverse but supportive of each other. I know some are not that fortunate, and that lack is a real loss in one’s life.

I am thankful that I live in one of the most generous nations on earth. Our government willingly sends assistance to any natural disaster anywhere. Further, Americans generously give of their time or money for these same events. American Red Cross, church groups, and other private organizations always have a presence.

I am thankful that I live in a community that offers real patriotism because of a unique blend of agricultural roots and a major military installation.

I am thankful for our military. Those who serve many times give up much that we have no idea of. No words can adequately express our gratitude to the families who lose loved ones in military service, but we can and should try. Offer a prayer for those is harm’s way.

I hope I have provoked some thought. I hope your Thanksgiving is a good one and wish you a Merry Christmas season.