Thanks

Thanksgiving is a holiday designed for the whole nation to give thanks. As a nation we owe our thanks to many. First and foremost are the servicemen and women dispersed around the globe. Not only those serving on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also those who protect us away from the battles – stationed in peacekeeping missions on half of America and NATO. These women and men are willing to put their lives at stake in order to ensure America’s freedoms and values. They work tirelessly to protect us, and many people across the globe who cannot protect themselves.

Thanks to our nation’s founders, for establishing a government which governs by majority, but also ensures there is not tyranny of the majority. They had the wisdom to guarantee the rights of minority voices within the very government they established. Leaders oppressed by their own government worked assiduously to guard against it within their new government. Today, we are free to criticize our government without fear of reprisals. The government protects vociferous opposition to all aspects of its policies and practices. We are thankful for the variety of opinions voiced and the opportunity to voice them, both red and blue.

Today we spend time with friends and family. Loved ones we may only get to see on special occasions. They love and support us, sometimes without our knowledge. They are there defending us, supporting us regardless. We thank our families for understanding and accepting us, even when we support “moral values” or oppose them. Friends and family are there for you always, not just on the holidays, but it is the holidays that we let them know how much we appreciate their love and support.

We are thankful for the bounty our nation enjoys. The homes that we live in, with home ownership at record levels. Though there are thousands of homeless in our nation, today we are thankful for our fortune not to be among them. We also thank the countless giving people who donate their time and money to help these souls, today and everyday. We thank them for their efforts and commitment, for working to try to end the homelessness in our great nation.

The food we find before us on this day and all others. Thankful for the nation’s farmers making the bounty possible. They work from dawn to dusk to provide the nation with food. They produce enough not only for our own people, but also for many others around the world. Farming is a thankless job but today we thank all of those who perform this greatly needed service.

Thank you to those in the medical profession. Holidays, though observed, do not mean a day of rest for nurses and doctors in our nation. We give them thanks for offering care to those in need everyday, especially when others are home celebrating with their families.

Thank you to everyone who give of themselves so that other may lead a better life.