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THANKFUL FOR AMERICA WITHOUT GUILT OR FEAR |
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Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler
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Thursday, 22 November 2007 |
All my life, I have always thought it was the coolest thing
on planet Earth to be an American. I have been to something close to 200
countries and political jurisdictions in the world, and whenever someone asks
me, "Where are you from?" it is a special thrill to be able to answer, "America
- I'm an American."
Thanksgiving is the unique American holiday. We share Christmas and Easter with
every other Christian nation. Most every country celebrates its Independence
Day, and the birthdays of their founding heroes. Thanksgiving is ours, where we
give our deepest thanks to Providence for the extraordinary gift of America to
mankind.
Other countries have their special times to celebrate their uniqueness, when
their citizens take justifiable pride in their country's achievements, and all
to the good. Thanksgiving is America's Day, the time when all Americans - all -
get to celebrate the achievements of the most successful society in human
history.
Tragically, however, there are two groups of Americans for whom Thanksgiving will be bleak. Liberals and pessimists.
The purpose of Thanksgiving is to be thankful for being
American. Thankful with no buts. This is the day to celebrate the
goodness of our country - the moral goodness, the moral decency of American
institutions, American history, and the character of the American people.
No whining and moaning about what happened to the Indians, or about slavery and
poverty and racism. No buts. Think that liberals can do this? Let's see. Ask any
you might know to agree that:
*America is the least racist nation on earth (to
disagree, another country must be named and knowledgeably described with less
racial turmoil and animosity).
*Americans are the most charitable and generous people on our planet;
no other people or country comes remotely close.
* America has more religious freedom than any other nation.
* American capitalism has created more wealth for more people than any
economy in the world history.
* American soldiers have brought more freedom to more people throughout the
world than those of any country in world history.
* Western Civilization, of which America is the pre-eminent example, has
brought incalculable benefits to mankind, compared to which its blemishes
seem negligible.
* I love being American. I am proud to be an American with no shame,
embarrassment, or apology.
* I want us to win in Iraq.
The terrible problem liberals will have answering yes to any
of these questions, and thus be thankful for America on Thanksgiving is that
they can't really celebrate being American, for they feel guilty and
embarrassed about it.
Yet to truly celebrate Thanksgiving is not just to be
thankful for America with no buts, but also to be thankful for America with
no fear.
Yesterday, the day before Thanksgiving, a Reuters-Zogby
poll was released, claiming its results showed that:
"Americans enter the holiday season in a dark mood, with
economic worries, security fears and a lack of confidence in government fueling
growing pessimism."
An inspiring antidote to this pessimism was provided last
week (11/16) by Rudy Giuliani in his speech to the Federalist
Society. I encourage you to read it
entire. It's funny and
instructive. For example:
"I stand with Ronald Reagan. He was once accused of having a
19th century attitude on law and order. He responded that it was a false
charge. He had an 18th century attitude."
The antidote was provided at the end of his speech:
I get very, very frustrated when I
hear Americans talk about or hear certain Americans talk about how difficult
the problems we face are, how overwhelming they are, what a dangerous era we
live in. I think we've lost perspective. We've always had difficult problems,
we've always had great challenges, and we've always lived in danger.
Do we think our parents and our
grandparents and our great grandparents didn't live in danger and didn't have
difficult problems? Do we think the Second World War was less difficult that
our struggle with Islamic terrorism? Do we think that the Great Depression was
a less difficult economic struggle for people to face than the struggles we're
facing now?
Have we entirely lost perspective
of the great challenges America has faced in the past and has been able to
overcome and overcome brilliantly?
He could also have used an instance when America was far,
far more stuck at the bottom of the barrel than now - in 1980, at the close of
the impossibly disastrous Carter presidency with unemployment, inflation, and
interest rates staggeringly high and everyone from Henry Kissinger on down
convinced we had lost the Cold War.
I want you to trust me on this. By next Thanksgiving, that Reuters-Zogby pessimism will be a
distant memory. All the Democrats have
to sell is fear, surrender, and taxes.
They have bet on black, and it is a bet their candidate, be it the PIAPS
or Obambi or the Breck Boy, will lose.
Americans are not going to elect a party that hates America, that feels
embarrassed and guilty to be American, that wants America to lose, to govern
them.
We, on the other hand, can celebrate Thanksgiving with no
liberal fear, guilt, or embarrassment.
We can revel in the fact that Americans have so impossibly much to
celebrate on this day that, by comparison, our country's flaws don't
matter. That America is the noblest
nation in the history of humanity. That we are members of history's greatest
civilization at its prime.
Take the time to savor your presence in history, the incredible blessing
Providence has bestowed upon you in being an American, on this day. Drain the
goblet of gratitude while liberals and Democrats quaff their cup of guilt.
Gratitude to Providence for the existence of America, gratitude for the
privilege of being American.
Giving such thanks for being American is a curiously
humbling experience. Humbling in an Einsteinian sense. There's a story about
Albert Einstein attending a scientific conference with a friend, who points out
a young promising physicist. "Professor Anderson," Einstein's friend comments
in admiration, "is a very humble man." Einstein looks at his friend with scorn,
and replies derisively, "Humble?? He
hasn't done anything yet to be humble about!"
Just as Einstein had accomplished more to be humble about than any other
scientist, so America has accomplished more to be humble about than any nation
in the saga of civilization. It's funny how real pride and real humility are
two sides of the same coin.
So primarily, Thanksgiving is the opportunity to express our gratitude towards
Providence for the humbling honor of participating in and contributing to a
civilization that stands at the pinnacle of history, a civilization that the
Greeks would have called makarios - blessed.
For me personally, it is an opportunity to thank all of you for being a part of
To The Point. Quite frankly, it is an honor to write for you, for people whose
values I share. Please accept my
deepest wishes for the Happiest of Thanksgivings. On this day, every American has the opportunity to be thankful
for America.
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