Today is November 28, 2013. It is Thanksgiving Day in the United States of America. Thanksgiving is a floating holiday. Thanksgiving Day in America is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November; and therefore, it does not fall on the same date of the calendar each year.
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
However, fifty years ago in 1963, Thanksgiving Day was indeed on the same date in the month. President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated 6 days prior in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. It was three days after the assassination, on November 25, 1963 that President Kennedy was "laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia." The date of Thanksgiving: November 28, 1963.
"President Lyndon Johnson addressed the nation on Thanksgiving Day, 1963. He announced that Florida's NASA Launch Operation Center would be renamed the John F. Kennedy Space Center"President Kennedy had sought to bring people together on the political front, both those in the Republican Party and those in the Democratic Party, in accepting responsibility for the future.
Regardless of the efforts put forth by President Kennedy, the political divide in the United States is no better today than it was 50 years ago. Indeed, I dare say that the political divisiveness that exists today is even worse. It is with the Kennedy meme above in mind that I coined my own perspective as follows:
"The name-calling needs to stop. The personal attacks and belittling of individuals based solely on different political perspective needs to stop. All Americans need to pull together. Divisiveness will not accomplish anything positive. It is time for what I call some real D.I.R.T., i.e. Democrats, Independents, (and) Republicans (working) Together. If we, the American people, set aside the distrust, if we set aside the hostility, if we set aside the verbal tirades, if we set aside the casting of stones, if we set aside pointing out blame, if we set aside pettiness, we just might be able to work together for the mutual benefit of all Americans."CW Martin wrote an extremely good piece over at Tilting at Windmills on Friday, November 22, 2013. Please click over to read 50 Years Gone.
- Roland Louis Hansen
And then, on Monday, November 25, 2013, CW Martin wrote another fine blog entry, Thoughts On Thanksgiving And Other Matters.
On November 27, 2013, Time To Ban Thanksgiving was put forth by Timothy W Higgins over at Just Blowing Smoke...
JFK and Thanksgiving was scribed on November 22. 2013 by Mark Shriver, Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Save the Children.
In conclusion, I believe it appropriate to reflect on Thanksgiving in honor of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy by reading his Thanksgiving Day Proclamations. Therefore, I refer you to:
1 comment:
I thank you for the props, and I did leave what I hope will be received as a nice comment on Tim's post. Have a good holiday!
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