Posted on 11/26/2008 7:49:04 PM PST by andrew roman
When asked in 2006 on Dennis Prager's radio show if he thought the United States, on balance, has predominantly been a force for good or bad in the world, Howard Zinn, well-known leftist, historian and America-hater, answered:
"Probably more bad than good. We've done some good, of course ... but we have done too many bad things in the world. If you look at the way we have used our armed force throughout our history - first, destroying the Indian communities of this continent and annihilating Indian tribes ..."
...followed by a whole lot of blah, blah, blah.
(Like you didn’t see that coming).
Almost as much of a tradition as turkey, cranberry sauce, Dallas Cowboys football and pumpkin pie are the annual Thanksgiving Day editorials and opinion pieces which sound like they could have come directly from the pen of Zinn (and others), printed almost everywhere, lamenting the horrifically murderous origins of the United States - the wiping out of indigenous people, the calculated spreading of disease, slavery, raping, pillaging, you name it.
For example, today's editorial page of the Redmond Reporter opines:
Columbus, in fact, was the precursor to a mass genocide. More than 100 years later, the Pilgrims arrived peacefully to participate in the first Thanksgiving dinner. But, instead they opened the door to more death and destruction of the Native Americans.
Eventually, they became the minority, captives in their own land. You can bet, they were never thankful for the famine, war, death, and plagues brought on by the Europeans.
Thanksgiving was a holiday created by President Abraham Lincoln to give Americans something to be thankful for during the Civil War. People can be thankful for a lot of things, but genocide should not be one of them.
To read these guilt-ridden shame-peddlers, who ironically benefit tremendously from the freedoms and opportunities afforded them in this country – suffering from what Rush Limbaugh sometimes calls “affluenza” – you’d almost have to conclude that although the failings of humanity may have manifested themselves in various ways before the founding of the United States, they have never done so with such ferocity, never to such a degree and never with such reward since the founding.
The author obviously went to an American University.
Okay, first ... a tiny history lesson (If you know this already, skip ahead).
Let's be clear, the holiday was not created by Lincoln. Rather, it became a consistently annual one under Lincoln. There were, in fact, many instances of a Thanksgiving holiday prior to 1863.
In 1777, the Continental Congress gave the first National Proclamation of Thanksgiving:
"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: That at one Time and with one Voice, the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine Benefactor;"
The next year in 1778, Samuel Adams authored a Thanksgiving resolution, approved by Congress in November, writing:
Yeah, really. God was in there."It having pleased Almighty God through the Course of the present year, to bestow great and manifold Mercies on the People of these United States."
George Washington, of course, gave his famous Thanksgiving Day proclamation on October 3, 1789:
"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation..."
Good stuff.
And there were many others - not only at a national level, but at a state level as well. (It's not difficult to do the research. Really.)
Now, as far as genocide is concerned - and I admit to a touch of fascination with how Leftocrats choose the words they will bastardize and dilute while still managing to keep straight faces - let me be as explicit as possible.
The idea that Europeans committed genocide against the indigenous North American population is categorically false. It did not happen. The evidence and the historical record do not corroborate these claims. Indeed, there were slaughters, bloody battles, all out wars waged and ugliness to be sure ... but to claim genocide is a flat out lie. Genocide's meaning is as unambiguous as a definition can be - the deliberate, calculated, systematic destruction of a particular group.
That America has "evolved" to the point where offense is taken at honoring what is often called the first Thanksgiving in 1621, and words like "genocide" are tossed around so freely and easily, speaks volumes about those who hawk these contemptible myths.
Frankly, it's disgusting.
So long as the invading Europeans can be portrayed in the most negative light possible and school children can be made to bewail the earth-loving civilizations that were obliterated by the invading peace-pummeling, weapons-loving, land raping, slave owners, Thanksgiving will still have a place.
This is anecdotal, of course - and I do know that tributes to the first Thanksgiving still take place in schools across this country - but I have noticed, with my own kids, that as they got older, the rituals that were once considered "standard practice" in commemorating the holiday, e.g., dressing up as Pilgrims and Indians, were not being practiced as much any more. Traditional reenactments were being vanquished in favor of a more multicultural "Let's give thanks to everyone in every subgroup that has ever existed so that even the dead are not to feel left out."
Nauseating.
Every single ethnic group and race will have wielded equal influence on all things related to the founding of this country by the time the history books are reconstructed with a multicultural pen.
At some point, it may not be unreasonable to expect to "discover" that there were actually Muslims or Africans or Atlantians at that first Thanksgiving table almost four centuries ago.
(I digress)
As far as the real meaning of the holiday ... don't even think of bringing God into the discussion.
It is really about the Indians teaching the stumbling, bumbling Europeans to catch eels.
As evidenced by the recent events in Claremont, California - where the parents of kindergarten students have been clashing over the 40-year tradition at Condit Elementary School of kids dressing like Pilgrims and Indians to celebrate Thanksgiving – moronic hippie-trail sensitivity (critical leftist thinking) is trying to redefine the rules of the game … again.
As one parent put it:
"It's demeaning. I'm sure you can appreciate the inappropriateness of asking children to dress up like slaves (and kind slave masters), or Jews (and friendly Nazis), or members of any other racial minority group who has struggled in our nation's history."
Umm ...
Okay.
The inability to solicit critical thought from the Left no longer astounds me. I accept it - like losing socks on laundry day or belly button lint.
I have always thought of the Thanksgiving holiday this way, as expressed by George Washington:
Amen."...that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord."
-
He hates America and Americans so much maybe he should slit his own f@cking throat....
Prager, always the gentleman, did a surgeon's job taking this guy apart. Mostly, by taking his idiotic liberal philosophy and applying it to the real world.
Everytime Prager gave an example or showed the guy how he was doing moral equivalency between Britain and the Nazis, the guy was dumbstruck.
Zinn said all abortion is a woman's right and therefore moral. Prager broke it down to business women in LA having abortions so it doesn't effect their careers and the guy didn't know what to say.
I prefer ZINfandel.
zinn’s books have been very influential on college and high school textbooks.
i happened upon zinn in the late 80’s and read his american history.
it angered me because he takes advantage of hindsight and then blames american historical figures for decisions that they made.
if they’d had the advantage of today’s knowledge they would have decided differently.
They are much, much richer, and live longer more fufilled lives in every respect. Any of them that would rather live in tents as a hunter gatherer is entirely free to do so.
But here is what they are not free to do. Capture unoffending human beings and burn them alive over a slow fire, laughing at their screams.
They are much, much juster than they once were. Unless you believe the freedom to commit wholesale murder and death by torture was a great good, they lost nothing in becoming civilized men, instead.
"But they were lords of the whole continent!" So what, what did it get them? Tyrants and slaughter and terror, that is what it got them. Indians committed genocide on each other with wanton abandon for centuries, before they ever heard of a white man. And continue to do so long after the latter arrived.
I had my own success today. I played golf with a lefty. i just hammered him for nine holes and then he quit.
I may not have the ability to change them, but i certain can make them messerable.
Quoting a two-bit communist like Zinn is the same as quoting Joseph Goebbels on the German media during the 30’s. Both lie like rugs, but unfortunately too many students believe the crap that Zinn has been spewing for decades.
Get some good history books and counter the leftists in print, in the schools, and in the media, (while you can. Remember, Obie is coming into control in a few months and the concept of “free speech” and the First Amendment are going to be redefined, and it will not be the Founding Fathers’ Original Intent type).
Frankly I’m a little surprised that Zinn hasn’t been picked by Obama for some Cabinet post.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
As with most things, Jefferson said it best.
----
Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it!
www.AnySoldier.com
Oh geez, another leftie who dislikes himself enough to air his thoughts in the public.
btt
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.