Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. I haven't written anything in almost 2 weeks. I don't pick my topics so much as the topics pick me. I have to feel moved to write and express myself. The past couple of weeks, as I was watching what was happening in the world, and keeping up with news on the internet, I became disheartened. Seeing the man who was supposed to be the leader of the greatest country in the history of and on the face of the earth, get door after door closed in his face as he traveled to Indonesia, India, and Portugal. He celebrated Veterans Day, which is an American observance, in Indonesia and praised, not the American military, but the Indonesian military. At least he didn't apologize for America on this trip, but he did bow down to a Hindi official and state that America was once a world leader. I began to feel somewhat shamed that the rest of the world is judging Americans by the man that fooled too many a couple of years ago. The resentment I have felt over the Americans who were either fooled by him, or knew who he was and just didn't care, or voted based on color of skin and not content of character, began to rise up and choke me again. I've had to work my way up thru that morass again, and once again deal with the reality that so many Americans are so clueless and apathetic. I read an opinion on line this morning that proposed we should be thankful that Obama and the Democrats have grabbed so much power and so many of our rights in such a short time, because it shook many Americans out of their stupor and lethargy. I'm thankful, dear God, that we only have 2 more years left to survive this wanton destruction of America from within. So here are some interesting Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations to consider and compare:
Within a year of being elected the first President of the newly formed Republic, the United States of America, George Washington issued this proclamation:
By the President of the United States of America, 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 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 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 which we experienced 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 hath 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 (expecially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord - To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease 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 1789.
G. Washington
For almost 100 years, Thanksgiving Days were observeed by the individual states, at varying times of the year. During his Presidency, Abraham Lincoln issued several Thanksgiving Day proclamations in Washington D.C. calling for local days of thanksgiving. Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey's Lady's Book campaigned for 15 years for a national thanksgiving date, until, in 1863 President Lincoln responded to a letter from her by designating the last Thursday in November each year as a national Thanksgiving Day. The following proclamation is credited to President Lincoln, although in the handwriting of his Secretary of State William Seward. It's not known if President Lincoln composed it himself or if Seward did:
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respeccted and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversion of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, Who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father Who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward,
Secretary of State
And now for comparison, here is Obama's Thanksgiving Proclamation. I had already found the proclamations of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln before I came across one solitary mention of this one on the internet; therefore I didn't know that Obama had referenced both of them in his. And since I don't know which one of his many speechwriters actually wrote it, I can't give credit where credit might be due. However, I do want to mention something that is kind of a sore point for me - the mistaken assumption that by supporting the Democratic Party, one is supporting the party of emancipation, freedom and rights. That cannot be further from the truth, and any American that believes that is very sadly mistaken. President Abraham Lincoln was a Republican and it was the Republican Party and it's followers who fought so hard for the emancipation of the black slaves in America. The Democratic Party, which was composed largely of southern slave-owners fought against the emancipation of their slaves, their "property"; to the extent that the Ku Klux Klan is an off-shoot of the Democratic Party. From Obama, the man who refuses to give voice to the concept that our inalienable rights are bestowed by our Creator:
A beloved American tradition, Thanksgiving Day offers us the opportunity to focus our thoughts on the grace that has been extended to our people and our country. This spirit brought together the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe - who had been living and thriving around Plymouth, Massachusetts for thousands of years - in an autumn harvest feast centuries ago. This Thanksgiving Day, we reflect on the compassion and contributions of Native Americans, whose skill in agriculture helped the early colonists survive, and whose rich culture continues to add to our Nation's heritage. We also pause our normal pursuits on this day and join in a spirit of fellowship and gratitude for the year's bounties and blessings.
Thanksgiving Day is a time each year, dating back to our founding, when we lay aside the troubles and disagreements of the day and bow our heads in humble recognition of the providence bestowed upon our Nation. Amidst the uncertainty of a fledgling experiment in democracy, President George Washington declared the first Thanksgiving in America, recounting the blessings of tranquility, union, and plenty that shined upon our young country. In the dark days of the Civil War when the fate of our Union was in doubt, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a Thanksgiving Day, calling for "the Almighty hand" to heal and restore our Nation.
In confronting the challenges of our day, we must draw strength from the resolve of previous generations who faced their own struggles and take comfort in knowing a brighter day has always dawned on our great land. As we stand at the close of one year and look to the promise of the next, we lift up our hearts in gratitude to God for our many blessings, for one another, and for our Nation. This Thanksgiving Day, we remember that the freedoms and security we enjoy as Americans are protected by the brave men and women of the United State Armed Forces. These patriots are willing to lay down their lives in our defense, and they and their families deserve our profound gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
This harvest season, we are also reminded of those experiencing the pangs of hunger or the hardship of economic insecurity. Let us return the kindness and generosity we have seen throughout the year by helping our fellow citizens weather the storms of our day.
As Americans gather for the time-honored Thanksgiving Day meal, let us rejoice in the abundance that graces our tables, in the simple gifts that mark our days, in the loved ones who enrich our lives, and in the gifts of a gracious God. Let us recall that our forebears met their challenges with hope and an unfailing spirit, and let us resolve to do the same.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constituion and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 25, 2010, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all the people of the United State to come together - whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors - to give thanks for all we have received in the past year, to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and to share our bounty with others.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
Barack Obama
Could that be any more generic and politically correct? America was founded in order to worship and praise Almighty God, which our founders openly and frequently recognized. George Washington spoke of Almighty God in his first sentence and by name or pronoun at least 15 times in his 3 paragraph proclamation. Abraham Lincoln's proclamation names Almighty God in it's second sentence and another half-dozen times in it's single paragraph. Both Washington and Lincoln repeatedly ascribed our blessings and freedoms as coming from Almighty God. Obama issued a 6 paragraph proclamation, in which the 6th paragraph was all about himself; he doesn't speak of God until the 2nd paragraph and that is to quote Lincoln calling for "the Almighty hand" to heal and restore our Nation. The 3rd paragraph mentions gratitude to God for our many blessings; and then in the 5th paragraph is mentioned the gifts of a gracious God. Unlike Washington and Lincoln, who delineated blessing by blessing, and attributed them to God; this years proclamation mentions bounties and blessings in general, with no mention of what they are or Who they came from. Instead we are told to thank the Native Americans and to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own. Our founders, and most of our Presidents since our founding, were Godly men. Regardless of what you may think of Obama's religious preference; we do not, for perhaps the first time in American history, have a Godly president.
President Lincoln spoke of "one heart and one voice by the whole American People".
America, find your founders heart, find your founders voice.
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