The truth is that the first Thanksgiving was not about a "celebration of community", as Obama would have us believe, but was to give thanks and praise to God, who had provided for them a bountiful harvest.
(1) Of the 101 who had originally come to Plymouth colony, half died. The original settlers actually had set up a communal lifestyle, with no private property, and all work and food was to be used for the "common good". Sound familiar? William Bradford, the first governor of the Plymouth colony soon realized the inequity, as some would feign sickness or some other ailment, while a minority, who were more industrious, were providing all of the food and work, but which was insufficient to sustain the colony. It was at this time that Bradford established "private" property rights. Now, what you produced or grew (with the help of the local Indian tribes, who showed the new settlers how to grow local vegetables) belonged to you and could be traded or bartered for other goods or services. Those who were at one time "too sick" or "too tired" to work became productive members of the colony. Suddenly, the sustainability of the colony was more secure, and their standard of living increased. The first Thanksgiving was not about a celebration of "community", but was to give thanks to God for a bountiful harvest, private property, and free-market capitalism.
George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation acknowledges this with the simple statement "acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
The Thanksgiving holiday is not a celebration of community, but an acknowledgement that all of our blessings come from God and that we use this day to thank and praise him for the abundance that each of us has.
Posted by Brian
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