Obama Show Uses Civil War Example For Thanksgiving and Service. [Obama Style Truth]

11/27/2008 06:14:00 AM

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First, I didn’t plan on posting anything today other than a “Happy Thanksgiving” post, however, upon awakening and looking through my feeds, this was the third thing in my feed list….

The Obama “team” loves to compare Obama to Lincoln.  This time in the Thursday-Thanksgiving edition, which is stated as being a “preview of his weekly address” (oh yippie.. four days, four releases…..), on the YouTube page there is mention of Lincoln:

“,nearly one hundred and fifty years after President Lincoln called for the last Thursday in November to be set aside to acknowledge our blessings.  …”

Obama focuses on  Lincoln and the Civil War in the opening of his now daily “show”, talking about a nation divided during the Civil War.  What is bothersome, is that the Obama team gives the impression that Lincoln is the person to give “thanks” to for making Thanksgiving official and chooses a time in our nation’s history when this country was at war with itself.  In typical Obama team style, they selectively use parts of history for their advantage, not using the entire truth.  And not giving credit where credit is due, as it was nearly 77 years after Lincoln that Thanksgiving as a national holiday was made, with celebration then being every year afterwards, by law and also making a different date the official day with the first celebration of Thanksgiving being nearly 322 years prior to Lincoln.

I find using Lincoln and the Civil War an interesting comparison.  Using the Civil War, which was about States Rights (and not slavery as many think… check your history), and a nation divided with Lincoln stating in “his first Thanksgiving decree.”  This would give the impression that Lincoln is the person to thank for making Thanksgiving official.  Wouldn’t it seem that way?  When in reality, it was George Washington, 74 years prior to Lincoln, at the time our nation’s first president, that created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States.

Additional important dates in the history of Thanksgiving include; the first Thanksgiving was in 1621, and the first official Thanksgiving in 1923.  The Continental Congress in 1777 gave the First Proclamation of Thanksgiving, one year after our nation’s official birth.  In 1789, George Washington, 74 years before Lincoln, made a proclamation and created the first national Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America.  And a bill by Franklin D Roosevelt declared Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November, as some years had five months in November.  FDR is the person who made Thanksgiving on the day it currently is, and signed it into national law in 1941.  That is the TRUE history of Thanksgiving, and on the day we celebrate it. 

The Obama team and/or Obama instead choose to use Lincoln and the Civil War as an example.  A time in our nation’s history when our own country was at war with itself. A times when it was literally brother vs. brother, and family members vs. family members (at least it was in my family with part of my family fighting for the Union, and other family members fighting for the Confederacy). And even Lincoln’s declaration was for a one time deal only.  It had to be changed to a different date in later on in 1941 to the fourth Thursday in November and when it was finally made an official holiday by law. If anyone is responsible for Thanksgiving as a national holiday in the United States, to be celebrated every year, it was Franklin D. Roosevelt, not Abraham Lincoln.

Additionally, in the blog post on Change.gov, the following is posted.  Have you served today?  [Actually I serve everyday, due to being panhandled by homeless several times a day, just so they can go and buy another bottle of booze, or crack, instead of food.

“Watch the President-elect’s Address now – then send us your stories about the ways you or others you know serve your community:”

On the page to share your stories is stated the following:

“Share your story, tell us why service is important to you, or let us know what you’d like to see an Obama-Biden administration do to encourage service.”

This is part of Obama’s “America Services” program that he is planning.  Initially, before the Change.gov website was scrubbed, the page stated:

change2[4] Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year.” [As seen to your left]

“Obama and Biden will establish a new American Opportunity Tax Credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year.”

The page was changed to reflect the following:

“They’ll set a goal that all middle school and high school students engage in 50 hours of community service a year, and develop a plan for all college students who engage in 100 hours of community service to receive a fully-refundable tax credit of $4,000 for their education.”

What the Obamabots keep forgetting is that by making service mandatory or required, especially for children, is that it is a violation of the 13th Amendment, which prohibits involuntary servitude.  This Amendment was passed during the Lincoln administration.  How’s that for irony? 

Section 1:  Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2:  Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Being a historian by trade and at times profession, using “selective information” about history to use to given an “official” speech by our soon to be President, I find this very, very interesting and very, very disturbing.  To use an example that is not correct for the actual day we celebrate Thanksgiving, and to dismiss George Washington, our nations first president who proclaimed the first Thanksgiving day for the entire country, and to forget that it was because of the Pilgrims that Thanksgiving even exists, entirely disrespectful of our Nation’s history by using selective facts, to appear to make a point.  NO matter how hard Obama tries, he can maybe “change” our future, but he can not “change” our past.

If you do care to learn the real history of Thanksgiving, read on.  If you care more about Obama’s truth about Thanksgiving, and believe anything the man says, don’t bother reading on, and just go to YouTube, watch and believe the Obama manipulation of history.

The Real History of Thanksgiving

In 1619, 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Hundred, on the north bank of the Makes River, about 20 miles upstream from Jamestown, VA.  The group’s charter required that the day of arrival be observed years as a “day of thanksgiving” to God.  To this day, the Berkeley Plantation continues to be the site of an annual Thanksgiving event.  President Bush gave his official Thanksgiving address in 2007 at Berkeley.

“In the four centuries since the founders of Berkely first knelt on these grounds, our nation has changed in many ways.  Our people have prospered, our nation has grown, our Thanksgiving traditions have evolved – after all, they didn’t have football back then.  Yet the source of all our blessings remains the same:  We give thanks to the Author of Life who granted our forefathers safe passage to this land, who gives every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth the gift of freedom, and who watches over our nation every day.”

1621 Thanksgiving

Squanto, who resided with the Wamponoag tribe, taught the Pilgrims how to grow corn and catch eel and served as an interpreter for the Pilgrims.  They set apart a day to celebrate at Plymouth immediately after their first harvest, in 1621.  At the time, this was not regarded as a Thanksgiving observance as harvest festivals were existing parts of English and Wamponoag tribe traditions.

1623 Thanksgiving

This was the true “first” Thanksgiving, when it followed a drought, included a prayer for rain, and subsequent rain shower following.  In Plymouth tradition, a thanksgiving day was a church observance, a religious holiday, instead of a feast day.  The tradition slowly grew over time in the early colonies of America.

1777 Thanksgiving

During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress appointed one or more thanksgiving days each year. 

The First National Proclamation of Thanksgiving was given by the Continental Congress in 1777, one year after our nation’s official birth.  However, at this time, Thanksgiving was celebrated in December, not November.  George Washington, who had been the leader of the revolutionary forces in the Revolutionary War, proclaimed a Thanksgiving in December 1777 as a victory celebration honoring the defeat of the British at Saratoga.  This was a one time official celebration.

“It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive Powers of these UNITED STATES to set apart THURSDAY, the eighteenth Day of December next, for SOLEMN THANKSGIVING and PRAISE…”

1789 Thanksgiving

As President, on October 3, 1789, George Washington made a proclamation and created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America.  Again, this was a one time official celebration.

“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me ‘to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by 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”

Various Dates 1795 – 1817

George Washington again proclaimed a Thanksgiving in 1795, a one time celebration.

John Adams declared Thanksgivings in 1798 and 1799, a one time celebration.

James Madison, 1814, 1815, a one time celebration

1858 Proclamations appointing a day of thanksgiving issued by the governors of 25 states and two territories.

1864 Lincoln Thanksgiving

In the middle of the Civil War, Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated on the final Thursday in November, 1863.  Like previous presidents, this proclamation was a one time deal only.

“I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

1865 – 1939 Thanksgivings

Each year, presidents decided to declare that Thanksgiving was a holiday, on the last Thursday of each month.  It was still not an official national holiday at this point, as it was declared each year before celebration.

1939 – 1940 Thanksgiving

In 1939, November of that year had five Thursdays, and Roosevelt declared the fourth Thursday as Thanksgiving rather than the fifth one.  In 1940, in which November had four Thursdays, he declared the third one as Thanksgiving.  The reason he did this, was to help with retailers and their Christmas sales, giving them an extra week.  This however, did not go over very well, and many places celebrated Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of the month, the fourth week.  Twenty-three states went along with Roosevelt’s recommendations, 22 did not, and one, Texas, took both.

1941 -  Present – Making Thanksgiving an annual official holiday the FOURTH Thursday of November.

The U.S. Congress in 1941 passed a bill (in other words law) requiring that Thanksgiving be observed annually on the fourth Thursday in November, which was sometimes the last Thursday and sometimes (less frequently) the next to last, with the last Thursday falling on the fifth week.

Your honor, I rest my case………….
 
BTW, anyone up for bets if there will be a Friday and Saturday edition of the Obama Show?
 
And Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  Thanks for reading.  Thanks for sticking around to my ranting and raving.  And everyone, be thankful for what you have, and enjoy it now.  For if it is up to Obama, you will “serve” to help others (a 13th Amendment violation, in other words slavery) and “share the wealth” of what you have with others.
 
Now time to go put a 20lb turkey in the oven for the two of us (yea, I know 20lbs… but buying a 20lb turkey for $6.00 was cheaper than buying just a turkey breast at $12.00) with mashed potatoes from scratch, giblet gravy from scratch, my famous sausage/chestnut/green apple dressing, fresh green beans with garlic, and homemade sourdough bread.  And we will give thanks for what we have today, that which he (yes, if you didn’t know it, I’m a chick, not a guy) has worked so hard for, as hard times are ahead for us all.
 
We are going to watch old episodes of thanksgiving shows such as Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving, Simpsons Thanksgiving episodes, American Dad Thanksgiving episodes, Family Guy Thanksgiving episodes, South Park Thanksgiving episodes, King of the H ill Thanksgiving episodes, and maybe just maybe I’ll finally be able to get him to watch “It’s a Wonderful Christmas,” a movie about being truly thankful in this holiday season.  Just because we’re older doesn’t mean we don’t feel like kids from time to time.
 
And as for how we are going to serve on Thanksgiving? Well on average we give away $5.00 a day to homeless, so they don’t harass us when begging for money.  And now some expect it when they see us.  We did donate some canned food to a pantry.  We also feed and pay the medical bills for nearly 10 feral cats, which helps with population control and disease for the cats who owners leave them behind.  Don’t even ask the price on that one.  And today, we will check with the security guards out here on duty to see if they want some turkey with all the fixings because they have to work today, 12 hour shifts from 6am-6pm, and are not able to spend the day with their family.  We may check where my other half works, to make sure those who are stuck here on holiday have something to eat.  It’s not much, but it is all we can offer right now. 

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