Penny Thoughts: Giving Thanks in America

It seems as though every year at this time, well at least for the past two and a half decades, our mainstream media has inundated us with the travails of those unfortunate secularist souls who insist on separating us from our God in our schools.  Christmas always tops their list, as is the attempt to remove “under God” from our Pledge of Allegiance.

Presently, there are some who want to diminish even Thanksgiving and want to separate its meaning from its original intent imparted by our Puritan Pilgrim predecessors.

It seems as though in our attempt to be “fair,” to protect the minority view, and not to be so overbearing with our American-Anglo influence on the development of this great Nation, we have diluted the meanings of far too many of our National Holidays, of which Thanksgiving Day is a major focus.

I do know that we all seem far less thankful for the many blessings which have been bestowed upon us as a People and as a Nation, regardless of how our ancestors got here.  This seems to me to be a symptom of the laissez faire approach to something distinctly unique in Americana – an attitude which seems to be guilt-ridden over our great success as a Nation that we would diminish its significance for fear we might offend someone who does not appreciate this cultural phenomenon.

…no other Nation or culture had set aside a National Day of giving thanks before the fledgling United States of America made it official with Abraham Lincoln’s Presidential Declaration on October 3, 1863.

Nevertheless, it was George Washington who first declared a National Day of Thanksgiving on the same date in 1789.  Even though Thomas Jefferson opposed it for reasons not entirely clear, the seed was sown.

The remainder of this column is occupied by George Washington’s Presidential Proclamation of October 3, 1789, declaring November 26 as the official Thanksgiving Holiday.  In it, we see the humility of a young Nation’s Leader dedicated to acknowledging a providential hand in the development of that Nation.

I can think of no better way to celebrate this Thanksgiving Day than to share it with my readers.

‘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 favor; 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 public 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 26th 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 enabled 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 favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite 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 public 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 shown kindness to 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 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.’

And it was signed by George Washington and was the FIRST official Presidential Proclamation in our Nation’s history.

May God continue to bless you and yours as we gather around our Thanksgiving tables this Thursday, and may we never forget the Source of our Nation’s greatness.

Happy Thanksgiving!”