Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving

 

As a progressive Democrat, I celebrate this holiday being thankful there are so many people working to make the world a better place. 

 

More and more are seeing the positives of a progressive political agenda as we work on saving the planet from the ravages of climate change and the new diseases that threaten our existence. We give thanks to those working tirelessly to build a future with universal healthcare and a green economy. 

 

We see the benefits of equality of opportunity for everyone, not just those who look or think like us. We want a world where the wealth that surrounds us is shared by all, not just the privileged few. When we prosper, we build a longer table, not higher walls. 

 

We welcome strangers who come to our shores seeking a new life and the opportunity to raise their families safe from violence. We recognize them for what our ancestors once were, refugees. We understand that our country can support us all and are willing to share in its bounty. 

 

We understand that equality for women means protecting their freedom to control their own bodies and to choose whether to bear children or not without interference from the government. It means the end to glass ceilings and gender specific jobs.

 

We give thanks for diversity and inclusion, putting aside concerns about skin color and cultural differences, who they love, what language they speak or the nation from whence they came. All have something to contribute to the fabric of our civilization and deserve the chance to do just that. 

 

We give thanks for those who choose to educate our children in public schools, who put themselves in danger to keep us safe from those who would do us harm and put out fires in our communities. We appreciate the other public servants who have chosen to work to make our communities safe and prosperous. 

 

We support the right of those who work for others to band together in unions and associations to demand safe working conditions and a living wage. Those who produce wealth, educate, or respond when things go wrong deserve a seat at the table where decisions that impact their lives and livelihoods are being made.  

 

We give thanks for the understanding that we are all in this together. Those things that divide us do not contribute to forward progress for the whole. Some, unfortunately, highlight division for their own selfish goals. We are thankful for the ability to recognize the threat and combat it effectively.

 

We give thanks for peace at home and abroad and thank those whose vigilance helps to prevent conflict here and abroad. While striving for peace, we understand that conflict is sometimes inevitable as we stand up to authoritarian plutocrats and fascists.

 

We give thanks for our friends and families, those we support and those who support us. Families are defined by more than blood relationships. The love and respect shared in family is given freely and without condition. 

 

We give thanks for our Democracy which gives each of us a voice and a seat at the governing table. We set aside our differences to rise in common defense of that cherished institution of self-governance against those who try to subvert and steal it in the pursuit of power. 

 

We celebrate the natural beauty that surrounds us in mountains, lakes, rivers and streams, oceans and skies understanding that this beauty provides us with the very stuff of life. We give thanks to those who help keep our waters pure and the air we breathe clean. 

 

We have lots to be thankful for this long weekend. Most of all, we must continue to give thanks for the duration of the next trip around the sun so all that makes us who we are continues to improve.