Day of Thanks
I wanted to tell y'all about my Thanksgiving, the good and the bad, but after having read Clay Cane's post, Thanksgiving_Horror, I'm not much in the mood. I'm now in the midst of doing more research on this subject.
If you've not read Clay's blog before, I'd encourage you to. But I'd appreciate anyone reading the thanksgiving post, and the comments too, if you have the time, and share your feelings with me.
I'll continue to celebrate Thanksgiving as a day to give thanks for the blessings in my life, though the story that Clay has written about it will now haunt me forever.
Blessings & hugs to all.
If you've not read Clay's blog before, I'd encourage you to. But I'd appreciate anyone reading the thanksgiving post, and the comments too, if you have the time, and share your feelings with me.
I'll continue to celebrate Thanksgiving as a day to give thanks for the blessings in my life, though the story that Clay has written about it will now haunt me forever.
Blessings & hugs to all.
posted by kathi | 5:09 PM
19 Comments:
I've heard that story since my childhood - that and others. (You can see Escritora's blog for a similar account). The truth is the Pilgrims came to America to escape religious persecution. Like all Eastern US settlers, they kicked the natives from their lands, infected them with smallpox (often on purpose) and slaughtered them whenever possible.
This is the presumed basis of Thanksgiving that Abe Lincoln formalized.
I just have one problem. My people began being enslaved in 1619, mainly because the native americans enslaved mostly died from disease. Not of my people were included in the original Thanksgiving.
So what? I'm not celebrating the genocide of a people. Hell, I used to get in trouble in school re-teaching history class. When I celebrate thanksgiving, it's not a big meal with turkey and cranberries and pilgrim murderers. It's a simple act of faith, of acknowledging a spiritual connection with God and being thankful for those in my life who makes a difference.
Yes, the holiday rests on the bones of the dead. But, people, so does the entirety of humanity. Would I go to a thanksgiving pagent? Not without a barf bag. But I'm thankful for today and will celebrate that.
Sabledawn said:
"But those guilty, are long-dead."
I think that holds true for any negative event that took place long ago. There are still people who are very angry at caucasians for the history of slavery. Those who are guilty of it---are long dead---as Sable stated.
Why are we still angry over things that people did so long ago? It's kind of sad really.
It sometimes better, to make a negative event/date of occurrence into a positive event and/or holiday---to 'remember' and be thankful for our family & friends.
It was horrible what happened years & years ago, but if we can only get past that- and "forgive and forget", then I would be thankful for just that.
As a Christian myself, forgiving AND forgetting is something that God wants us all to do. (In my beliefs)
I ditch tradition every year. That's what I am going to make the holidays about from here on out. By the time I'm 80... what'll be left?
sable ~ Thank you for the time it took you to read and comment on both blogs. This is very important to me, and I appreciate all your comments. I don't understand how I could've reached my age and not have known any of this. Clay sent me some things to read, as well. I'm going to come visit you in a moment and thank you again.
deb ~ You too, sweetie, thank you. I've got some great friends here and I love you very much. Thank you for taking your time to read and comment on both blogs. I appreciate your comments too.
crallspace ~ So, where did you come from guy? Welcome to my little ole' blog. You're going to make the holidays about 'ditching' tradition? I've never had much tradition, coming up in my family. I've never really installed many in my own, come to think of it. We always seem to do something different nearly every holiday. But, we do it together, and we always look forward to whatever it is we'll be doing...so maybe in our own way we do have a sort of tradition. By the time I'm 80 I hope to have memories left. Thanks again for stopping by, I'll be looking for you.
Kathi - Thanks for the referral to Clay's posting. Very intriguing post.
I think the best part of my message on that post was:
"How is anyone ever going to trust anyone else if we continue to fan the flames of hatred across racial/cultural lines?"
I have a hard time with messages that are only about "Look at this, here's another thing that the white man did wrong." It never sends a positive message...it's just another excuse to automatically expect the worst from someone.
Intersting post. Not being a historian, I can't vouch for accuracy, but I'm confident that much of what was written was pretty typical of what Native Americans endured during that time.
As for forgiving and forgetting: You can forgive, but we must never forget. It's been said that when you forget history, you're doomed to repeat it. I believe that's true. That's why the Holocaust and atrocitites such as our treatment of Native Americans must forever be taught...so it never happens again.
I was here...read them both...too tired to comment..it's after midnight & I'm exhausted...be back tomorrow with comments ;)
Sadly....every country/dynasty/era has some history not to be proud of...I still think of it as a day to be thankful though.
Hope you had a great thanksgiving. Tell the gang i say hi.
abi
Thanks for the referral...
Yes, our country always has many things to be ashamed of- and the American Indians are definitely a people who tend to get overlooked. And although I personally, view Thanksgiving as a day of thanks, having a mother who is Cherokee, I understand the pain that was so many years ago.
I appreciated reading a post about it, because it tends to get overlooked completely. But I still give thanks- and hope our country continues to evolve and that we can learn from the ghosts of our past and ancestors.
Thanks for the reference!
While it is important to never forget such atrosities - anger does nothing. Perhaps we should try making education and awareness part of the tradition.
People referring to other blogs for traffic?
anonymous ~ I don't understand your question.
Well I might start reading Clay's blog soon, Happy Black Friday!
I didn't understand anonymous either..lol.
Thanks for sharing that link. Very eye opening.
Hey Kathi - the vid clip of Tucker made me want to reach through my tv and punch him. He's a whiny punk. That segment is another reason why I won't ever be watching his program again.
I am always a bit disturbed by individuals who want a group of victimized people to forgive and forget. You try forgetting being stripped of your pride, dignity, land, culture and freedom. Moreover, I am amazed that people always want to makeover history with a positive spin instead of dealing with the facts as gruesome as they may be. We as Americans need to know the truth about our history. Obviously we can't change the events of the past but it's better to know how we got to the place we are instead of sweeping every dirty event under the rug.
Off topic a bit - am I the only one that notices that Jews can talk about the holocaust and no one shushes them or tells them to forget the tragedies in their past but as soon as African-Americans or Native Americans talk about their history people want them to 'let it go?'
Shawn,
Do you really want to focus on what deceased people did in the past, and put the blame on us? It’s not fair. Yes, I believe, forgive and forget—because they are deceased, gone—dust in the wind.
We try to focus on a ‘positive spin’ because we did not cause the holocaust, we did not put blacks into slavery, we did not push the Indians out from their home----our ancestors from years and years ago did that. How many times do you want to hear, “I’m sorry.”
Yes---let it go. History is okay to learn about- in fact it’s great, but to keep emphasizing on the fact of what white people did, is wrong in my opinion. What happens is, your kids, or people who teach their kids that ‘the whites did this, the whites did that’-----will grow up with hatred in their hearts.
Forgive…and yes…forget. God forgave us, and he washes us clean from everything. There are good people out in this world, and there are of course, ‘bad ones’---who will still hold prejudice and hate towards people of different cultures----on every level.
Hold the grudge. You’re only hurting yourself, and eventually, leaving others with mindsets to never forget—which leads to hate.
This is why there will always be a racial and holy war.
Deb - Unfortunately, I nor many other African Americans, can not forget slavery. Most modern day African Americans' lives are still effected by the same greed, hatred, resentment, mistrust, ignorance, prejudice and racism that once fueled slavery. Our past (slavery that is), in many ways, has dictated our present.
I don't walk around with a chip on my shoulder mad at 'the man' for every slight I've suffered or endured because of my race. Further, I don't expect every white person to offer up an apology everytime they see me for the atrocities my ancestors suffered at the hands of their ancestors - neither of us can change the past.
In my opinion, most classroom taught history is propaganda. I think we as a country need to know the details of our past - even the dark facts. If we studied the past, maybe we could learn something that might help us live harmoniously in the present.
I'm sorry but there is no forgetting.
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