There are many things I’m thankful for in life ─ good health, clean water and parents who loved me, to name a few.
Although liberty was denied to Blacks, I am also thankful that America has improved and that I have the opportunity to live in freedom today. The United States is not perfect, but I would rather live in America than in any other country. Our God-given rights, i.e., free speech, religious liberty, and the right to keep and bear arms, are worth fighting for.
Thomas Wolfe put it this way in his book, You Can’t Go Home Again: “To every man his chance ─ to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity ─ to every man the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him this, seeker, is the promise of America.”
As we celebrate this Thanksgiving Day, I would like to share a Thanksgiving Day message sent to me by a friend:
“Today, we look at the way our nation is split, and we need to remember the very first Thanksgiving in 1621. The Pilgrims and Indians came together to give thanks to God, and it brought great Unity among divided people. Brave settlers had crossed an ocean for the freedom to worship their Creator. They had landed on a shore that they had not selected, but their Almighty God had led them there. They found what God provided on those shores and built a new life.
The Mayflower Compact secured their community, and the Pilgrims made it a point of befriending nearby Indian tribes. The winter was bleak. However, through provisions provided by friendly Indians, hard work and the Lord’s direction, the Pilgrims were able to survive the harsh winter.
The Pilgrims were foreign people with different beliefs, abilities and desires, but they gathered with the Indians and others for Thanksgiving. They praised the Lord in unity and believed that banding together was God's plan for them.
We must come together as a Nation on this Thanksgiving Day and express our diverse ideas. We must discover our shared values… and understand that we will not agree on every last little thing. Knowledge comes when different ideas are shared. We must ‘work hard together’ and praise the Lord as we build a united America.”
I wholeheartedly agree with Anne. America’s strength is its trust in God and discovering our “shared values,” both vital to uniting our nation.
Issues divide.
Values unite.
A former member of President Trump’s Coalition Advisory Board, KCarl Smith is the President and CEO of KCarl Consulting Group, empowering freedom advocates with the confidence, knowledge and skills to trump the race card. His column appears every Thursday in 1819 News. To contact KCarl or request him for a speaking engagement go to http://kcarlinc.com/bookingsandfees . The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com .
