I agree with this priest that it's a decent, solidly American-traditional, family-friendly and God-pleasing thing to have a day free of the merchandizing stampede, when people can gather their family frm far and wide, have a fine dinner and praise the Almighty.
I think the stores should be closed on Thanksgiving. They were when I was young, and we were all grateful for it. But that was a better America.
Life was simpler and happier. We were spared the plethora of "must have" electronic devices, from cradle to grave. People talked to each other, be it on the front stoop or over a fence. Today, "txtng" is the preferred mode of communication. Back then, the news was delivered to the tv for half an hour .. today, it is round the clock. Sports were for amusement; now, they have become an excuse to skip church, in some households, especially for the kids.
As for people working on holidays, that was true for the police and hospitals when we were younger. The big difference is that back then, people obeyed the law and parents treated minor injuries at home, instead of running over to the emergency room at the local hospital.
I am grateful for having experienced life in a strong and self-sufficient America.