Our nation was founded by people who were fleeing tyranny and religious persecution. They boarded small ships and set sail on a perilous journey across rough waters to arrive in a land where they had nothing. They knew many would not survive what was to come, and yet they were thankful to the creator. Thankful for the opportunity that they felt had been bestowed on them to be able to make that trip. Thankful that they would soon be able to live in a land and make their own way free from an over bearing and all too intrusive government that had long since quit serving their needs. Everything that they were to have was to come from the blood sweat and tears and their labors to tame the land and bend it to their will. Mistakes were certainly made, lives were lost, and yet, they were still thankful. The thanks that they gave as they grew and prospered was to their creator and to their fellow man.
That is the origin of the holiday we will soon be celebrating. It was a feast in rememberance and in thanks for the promise of opportunity and the shared hardships that this land held for them. It was not in thanks to a wise and benevolent king or government for rescuing then from the pain of failure; it was not a day of gluttony and watching a parade or football game.
It was a time to be together and be thankful for family, friends, and God. However, celebrating this day is not uniquely Christian. It is uniquely American. Americans celebrating their exceptional luck at living in the greatest nation that has ever existed. A day of coming together in remembrance of where we have been, and looking forward to the promise that we still can reach if we try; and being thankful for both. A day for being thankful for the gift of being freemen and freewomen, free to pursue life, liberty, and property, that I believe, as did our founders, was a gift from God.
And just as no government gave you your right to be free, government cannot take those rights away. Government is not who we should look to for our future well being, for our health or our wealth. Government is not who we should give thanks to. It is to our creator and to our fellow man who through our shared efforts (not sacrifices) will remain free and prosperous that we should be thankful for. This is yet another fundamental difference between the two ideological sides. The progressives believe that only through the sacrifice of some can others achieve. I believe that only through hard work can we all achieve. It is no sacrifice to work hard and share your efforts with others and also reap the reward of that shared effort. The key is that everyone should put forth the effort; then there is no sacrifice.
That is what our founders believed, it is what we have fought wars to prove and it is what I am thankful for. I am thankful for my friends and family and to all my fellow freedom loving citizens out there, wherever you are.
Thanks.
-Kook
via iPhone
