One of the great American myths is that Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey as the symbol of the new Nation instead of the Bald Eagle.  He was only commenting on the character of the two birds in question but I believe that like most of our Founding Fathers he was tapping into the future and was describing the American governmental leadership that we are experiencing in 2017.  With all due respect to the beautiful and majestic bird to call our political leadership “turkeys” should be enough to get PETA on your tail.

As we sit down to feast on a distant cousin of the beautiful creature shown here the topic of the mis-deeds of our elected officials and favorite entertainment characters will likely become a topic at some point.  Polls show that 1 in 3 families will refuse to bring up the topic which is commendable but highly suspect.  Even so, that leaves two thirds of Thanksgiving tables to partake in two thirds of America’s favorite activities; eating and talking politics.  That is a lot of heartburn.

On this holiday which is designated for the giving of thanks to our Creator it should be easy to reflect and be grateful; for even the poorest that are among us are so much better off than our counter parts in the rest of the world.  In spite of the efforts of our political and corporate leaders to lower our standards to match Sudan, Argentina or England I still believe the majority of Americans still have that flicker of independent thought that sets us apart.  But it is a shrinking number to be sure.  In addition to my wife and boys, my brothers and sisters, my friends and my co-workers, for all that God has blessed my life with I am grateful for being an American.  To have that flicker of independence that is in our DNA is one of His greatest gifts.  On this Thanksgiving I hope as you ponder on your blessings you give thought to how we as a people got here and how it is not a coincidence that you are here.  Going as far back as the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock – it was our destiny to be here.  Or we can sit around and complain about the perverts that we have put in charge of our country.  That is what’s great about America – we have the liberty to do either.

Happy Thanksgiving!