In response to:
Thank you so much for writing the truth about my ancestors who arrived in this country in 1628. They faced untold hardships, but their vision of freedom combined with hard work started the country we enjoy today.
Among the myriad Thanksgiving-themed reads out there today, the best comes from Lori Borgman at OnTheCulture.com: "Thanksgiving is Spelled C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R." She reflects on the oft-maligned Pilgrims, and the spirit of gratefulness and courage that they exhibited when trying to settle in America. Here's an excerpt, but it's worth reading the whole thing, and considering that "Thanksgiving is a habit of the heart."
The Puritans, despite pummeling by untrue stereotypes, were a most remarkable group of people. The fortitude and resilience they displayed were heroic. They knew hardship both in the old world and in the new. The...
Yeah; I was with them until they hanged a lot of little old ladies for witchcraft in Massachusetts. That's what happens when you're brought up fundamentalist protestants. You lose your mind, then all your scruples.
Wow; I'm being corrected. You mean the nice fundie Puritans did NOT try old biddies for witchcraft and then hang them? Tell me, how many old crones got away?