As many of us prepare to sit down for a Thanksgiving meal today with friends and family, the Townhall editorial team would like to take a moment to say thanks to our readers. We also wanted to take the time to express to you what we are grateful for both in our professional and personal lives. We wish you all a safe and blessed Thanksgiving.
“Perhaps no custom reveals our character as a Nation so clearly as our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Rooted deeply in our Judeo-Christian heritage, the practice of offering thanksgiving underscores our unshakable belief in God as the foundation of our Nation and our firm reliance upon Him from Whom all blessings flow.”
-President Ronald Reagan, Thanksgiving Day, 1986
Guy Benson: I live in the greatest country on earth. I have a wonderfully supportive family. I have fantastic, smart, and funny friends. I have terrific colleagues and a job I love. I have a God who loves me unconditionally. I have good health. And I have a bowl-eligible college football team (Go Cats!) In short, I'm remarkably blessed -- and for that I am profoundly, surpassingly thankful. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Helen Whalen-Cohen: At the risk of sounding cliché, this year I am thankful for capitalism. Over the past year, not only was I able to work with a fantastic group of people, but I was able to go back to school at the same time. That sort of opportunity doesn't come along without the prosperity that capitalism brings. It is what allowed me (and millions of others!) to make choices that make us happy.
I was able to pick a program that accommodates my schedule and occasionally work strange hours to accommodate school. I am along the way to fulfilling my dreams. Where else is this possible?
This year there were a lot of people who claimed to be fed up with capitalism, from the riots in Europe to the Occupy mobs here at home. It's easy to take all of our choices and prosperity for granted sometimes, and forget how much we have or what allows us to live the way we do. Whether someone chooses to work, go to school, get married or even live in a tent in McPherson Square, they are able to do so because of capitalism.
Daniel Doherty: Today, as we celebrate Thanksgiving with our friends and families, I cannot help but remember the thousands of men and women who serve in the United States military at home and abroad. November, in many ways, is the most important month of the year. After all, it’s a time of solemn reflection, when we come together as a nation to commemorate Veterans Day and thank God for the many blessings we cherish as citizens of the United States. And yet, it’s important to keep in mind – especially on this day – that the freedoms and liberties we value can only be protected if brave men and women are willing to fight, and sometimes die, to preserve them.
The reality of 21st century warfare is that we live in a world where violence and terrorism are ever-present challenges. Indeed, malicious and malevolent organizations work tirelessly around the globe plotting new and innovative ways to kill Americans. This perennial threat, alas, is often faceless, unpredictable and exceedingly difficult to identify. Yet because ordinary citizens – who exemplify unparalleled courage – dedicate their lives in the service of their country, the inherent rights of Americans are safeguarded and secure today. For that reason, I wanted to express in writing – on this quintessentially American holiday – my sincere gratitude to the soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and coastguardsmen who selflessly defend our great nation. And I hope that my fellow citizens, in any way they can, will also do the same.
Kate Hicks: I spend many of my days reading and writing about the suffering American economy and steady, high unemployment levels. This puts me in the unique position of feeling thankful for my job on a daily basis – I’m always reminded that but for the grace of God go I. In May, I graduated from college with a political science/English degree and a desire to find a political journalism job in our nation’s capital. With the blessing and support of my incredible parents, I moved to DC and started looking. In mid-August, the job of my dreams – along with the most fun, hardworking colleagues a girl could hope to have – fell into my lap, and I started here at Townhall. Four months without a job felt like a long time, but I know so many graduates who are still searching – and of course, there are millions more out of the workforce thanks to the poor economy. I am one of the lucky ones with the chance to use my gifts and talents to provide for myself, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that opportunity this Thanksgiving.
Erika Johnsen: As we all reflect upon the upcoming holiday season, I am of course more grateful for my family, my friends, America, our soldiers, my employer, free enterprise, democracy, and liberty than I could ever adequately express. Ours is truly a singularly exceptional and wonderful nation, and how it is that I was fortunate enough to be born here, I'm sure I'll never know.
This Thanksgiving, I would like to issue a sincere thank-you to President Obama and his band of merry liberals-really, I mean it-for not allowing me to take America's exceptionalism for granted for even one moment. I'm grateful for the heady rage and aggravation I feel every day when reading about ineffectual liberal policies, because I'm constantly reminded of how much I care. I'm grateful that President Obama gives me a reason to ream him on the regular, because I'm reminded that I have complete freedom of speech and of the press. I'm thankful for the crushing weight of impending fiscal disaster and economic recession that
burdens my soul, because it means that I have something truly great that's worth fighting for. I'm even thankful for Obama's desperate attempts to construct a do-nothing Congress to campaign against in 2012, because I'm reminded that the battle isn't lost.
So, thank you, Mr. President, for keeping me continually aware that I am blessed with passion and freedom instead of sedated by apathy and oppression-and happy Thanksgiving to all!
Elisabeth Meinecke: When you watch footage of soldiers coming home, or hear stories like the battle Rick Santorum and his family are fighting just to keep their young daughter (struggling with a serious medical condition) alive, you realize that you have little to complain about. I'm thankful for health. I'm thankful for my amazing family, who taught me how to appreciate the blessings I have been given by God. I'm thankful for my coworkers -- the countless hours that they put in behind the scenes, the support they give and the laughs they bring. I'm thankful for this country. Heck, I'm even thankful for the little things -- a Cardinals World Series championship! Whenever Peyton Manning comes back!
Thank you, God, for this year. May I never take your gifts for granted.
Katie Pavlich: This Thanksgiving, as with all Thanksgivings (and every day quite frankly) I have so much to be thankful for, but here are a few: America! Being Employed. Having a family who has never been anything but supportive of me. A safe place to live. A reliable car. The opportunity to drive past the Pentagon and Arlington Cemetery every morning on my commute. Fox News. Twitter. Townhall readers! Mentors who have helped me along the way. The best co-workers anyone could ask for. The best boss on the planet. Doing a job I love. Visiting the Capitol building on a regular basis. Capitalism. Amazing friends. The Second Amendment. Free speech. Modern medicine. Mexican food. Country music. Living in republic. A cell phone. Technology. Being at the top of the food chain. Boys in cowboy boots. My UA Wildcats beating the scum devils last weekend. The ability to jump on a plane and fly across the country in just a day. Navy SEALs, Marines and all serving in the U.S. Armed Forces (we can never thank them enough for their sacrifce).
I could go on an on, I feel truly blessed today and everyday. It really has been a banner year. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
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