Sen. Jim Inhofe
WASHINGTON — The image most often invoked by Americans on Thanksgiving Day is that of the Plymouth Pilgrims. Those early settlers celebrated their new friendship with the Wampanoag people and gave thanks for the Hand of Providence supplying provisions to bring them through a harsh New England winter.
While our November holiday commemorates that first Thanksgiving, our nation’s official celebration is rooted in more recent American history. It was 1863, and the country was at war with itself. These were some of the darkest days in the life of America. The devastatingly brutal battle at Gettysburg was still fresh in President Abraham Lincoln’s mind. In the midst of those hard times, Lincoln issued a Presidential Proclamation that would later establish our current Thanksgiving holiday. In that proclamation Lincoln said the previous year, despite the fresh scars of war, had been “filled with the blessings.”
This year, our country has once again faced difficult times. Throughout history our country has been blessed in what Lincoln called bounties “which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come.” Because of difficult economic times, many families have and will endure hardships this holiday season, but it is during these times that we return to the basics to find reasons for gratitude: family and freedom. From neighbors and countless unsung community heroes who sacrifice to meet the needs of the less fortunate to the first responders and emergency personnel who put their lives on the line each day for our safety, even in difficult times, they give us reasons to be thankful.
Sadly, many will have empty places around the Thanksgiving table this year. For some these empty places are temporary, representing the more than 200,000 men and women in uniform who are fighting on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan. To these and others stationed around the world, we owe a debt of gratitude. For others, the empty place is permanent, representing those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. The sacrifices of our wounded and fallen heroes remain, forever, a testament to the price of freedom. Because of the sacrifices of those who have heard the call to serve their country and their families, we truly have many reasons to give thanks.
So despite these difficult times, and amidst great sacrifice, it is appropriate to consider the many reasons we can be grateful and, as Lincoln said, to “solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people” give “thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” May you and your family have a Happy Thanksgiving.
SEN. JAMES INHOFE represents Oklahoma.
