I love Thanksgiving. It is uniquely American and uniquely right. We celebrate God and Country and enjoy family time absent the stress and distraction of the more commercialized holidays. There is no need to deconstruct “Jesus Clause” or explain to our children that our Lord and Savior rising from the grave has nothing to do with eggs and bunnies. Who came up with that bunny laying egg thing anyway?
Recently, I visited with a man from Mexico who is in the U.S. legally, on a work assignment for a large corporation. He was telling me how much he was looking forward to his first American Thanksgiving. He will celebrate with friends either at their home or the others’. I asked about the menu. “Roast turkey with all of the trimmings” he quickly replied with a contagious enthusiasm. This, from a man whose favorite staple is tamales. He has never tasted a real roasted turkey, the American way. I was going to ask about deep frying it…next year, I thought.
His simple menu selection and his use of the word “trimmings” flooded my mind instantly with thoughts about that unique dish, roasted Turkey. We have celebrated Thanksgiving and that fine tryptophane laden meat at different times, with friends from Germany and friends from Russia. It is always great to talk about the other traditions that are uniquely American, and more than just food.
I remember water skiing with friends from Europe on the amazing Lake of the Ozarks. We rented a boat, filled a cooler with all kinds of libations, and enjoyed the heck out of a sunny July day. As we sat quietly taking a break from the action and taking note of all the beautiful lakefront homes, they began lamenting how this would never be allowed in Europe.
In Europe, if you tried to put a motorized boat on a lake, the environmentalists would decry the degredation to the environment and pass laws to stop you. If you tried to build a house on a lake, the communists would insist that the land belonged to all of the people and no one privately. They went on, but the point should be clear. In America, we are defined by putting individual rights first, starting with the Pilgrim’s quest for a place in which religious worship was every man’s exclusive domain. These rights extend far beyond that to include the individual’s right to own land and be secure in that land and enjoy it for his or her own use. Our uniquely American Government is designed on “negative rights”, or the right to be free FROM government, as opposed to the positive rights the socialists pursuit as to be given BY government.
If government can give you access to a Lake, then it can surely bar access from that same Lake. This is true with welfare, education, health care, and any other positive “right” the communists demand. Not in America! Something as mundane as water skiing takes on an entire new meaning when you consider that people want to take that right from you, especially when you consider their widespread success World-wide.
So as you enjoy a uniquely American roasted turkey, and reflect upon the freedom you have to partake in your favorite hobbies, do one thing. Please take a look at your kids and promise them that you will damn well do your best to make sure they and the successive generations of Americans can enjoy roasted turkey and the same freedoms you do today before some soulless commmie takes away these liberties in the name of positive rights.
While you are at it, the next time you see a commie, or some OWS goof, tell him to go eat sprouts or tofu or whatever politically correct sorry excuse for a staple food he eats. Then make haste to the biggest juiciest, hormone inspired 100% pure American beef burger you can find and be sure to slap on some American cheese and plenty of bacon. As you savor that first bite, thank God for blessing your America and promise Him too, that you will fight!
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