These days, it’s not popular to be thankful. News cycles turn on the disenchanted, the complainers, the perpetually aggrieved. But as Thanksgiving approaches, we Americans have a great deal for which to be grateful. After those English settlers sat down to eat with their new Indian friends, the future was obviously not clear. As H.U. Westermayer wrote, “The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” Looking back, it’s amazing to see the arc of history. The New World, anchored by the faith and buoyed by the hope of its inhabitants, and – after much death and famine – grew into an actual nation. Then, the real challenges of government began to set in. How could we be governed in such a way that wouldn’t tempt our leaders into power grabbing and heavy-handedness? Read my whole article on American Spectator here. Oh, and happy Thanksgiving!
