This post originally ran on Nov 25th, 2010. I’m thankful for a lot of things, and I hope you are too. Too bad all that Goresian “dirty weather” around the USA today will spoil it all. /sarc
Much like the famous editorial, Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, it has become a tradition this time of year to see some newspapers reprint President George Washington’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation, it seemed appropriate to repeat here today:
George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted’ for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.
I can’t hold a candle to the prose of our nation’s first president, but I can say that I’m thankful for the health of my family, that I still have employment in debt ravaged California, for the WUWT community of people that help with content and moderations, and visit here every day, and for living in an age where I can make friends (and enemies) instantly across the globe with the click of a mouse. – Anthony
Correction to above comment: “A hundred grandchildren and a thousand great-grandchiildren…”
@Caleb: The essay behind the link I posted above states that “approximately 35 million of the 311 million Americans have an ancestor who was at this event” (= the first Thanksgiving).
In Endnotes it says: “The 35 million number is found in Nathanial Philbrick, Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War, (New York: Penguin, 2006), p. 355.”
To Leo Norekens.
I read Philborick’s book, and he was actually the one who first made me aware of how amazingly those hundred first Pilgrims proliferated. However, because I have taken some grief for the “35 million” figure, I tend to under-estimate, to be safe.
My father’s father’s family was insufferably snobby about having ancestors on the Mayflower. (They could count five.) It is one thing to be amazed, and have pride about the survival and success of a people you call your own, but it is quite another to look down your nose at people who are not in your clique, and my grandfather horrified everyone by marrying a non-Brahmin.
My grandmother was a French-Canadians and Scots mix, and was a terrific woman, college-educated despite poor beginnings, back when that was uncommon, (1908,) and she tended to get annoyed during Thanksgiving dinners when she had to listen to her in-laws go on and on about their family tree. Sooner or later she could be depended upon to say something totally inappropriate, such as, “So, do you folk you sh– cream?”
Between the two grandparents I got a nice blend of pride and humbleness.
From John F. Hultquist on November 22, 2012 at 10:28 pm:
Luke warm but still raw turkey may be one of life’s great joys, but I’ll pass.
Yup. A tiny 8-10 lb turkey, and 6 to 8 hours? I fear the solar cooling crowd has missed the distinction between cooking food and slowly warming it to a certain temperature.
You can almost visualize the wave of bacteria enjoying the favorable incubation conditions as it propagates inward…
And 6 to 8 hours of bright sunlight, in the North Hemisphere, at the end of November? How many solar cookers have sun tracking?
Here in central Pennsylvania, on Thanksgiving day between sunrise and sunset was only around 9hrs 42min. For usable sunlight, the Sun far enough above the horizon, I don’t think we even had 8 hours. A single cloud front passing through, and there goes supper.
What do the early eaters do? Put it in the solar cooker for half the time the day before then finish on Thanksgiving?
Can I, an Australian biologist, give thanks to Anthony for the global blessing that is WUWT. I have given a couple of talks to things like church groups and professionals associations on the greenhouse debate, which were well received and which tried to give both sides of the case. I found WUWT to be an indispensable source.
If God forbid you in the US experience another 9/11, you can count on us down under to do our part to deal with the miscreants. It is cool to be antiamerican in Australia but much of this is simply absorbed without thought from trendy US sources like the media, loudmouthed rockers, Hollywood or Michael Moore. When the crunch comes Australia will come to its senses and to the aid of its true friend of liberty.
Glad to see this posted. I noticed others were sending it around as we see the media frats attempt to rewrite history according to the progressive propaganda agenda. (My soap box drama)
“When the crunch comes Australia will come to its senses and to the aid of its true friend of liberty.”
Do you have have anything preemptive in mind? Why wait for history to repeat? There just might be more Americans that are non-Americans.
Chris says:
November 22, 2012 at 11:50 am
I love this website full of science. But.
It really makes me wonder: Science and god, do they fit together? Do you believe or do you want to know?
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Yes, I believe AND I want to know more. Both about Him and this world he “invented” for us.
Someone once said (I used to think it was Newton but apparently it was someone else.), “Science is thinking God’s thoughts after Him.”
Romans 1-3 basically deals Man’s problem of walking away from God and leaving himself without God. Romans 3:21 on is what God did to fix Man’s problem.
Freedom of will is a wonderful thing. God doesn’t force Himself on anyone.
In the context of “science”, you can’t put spirit or soul in a test tube. They themselves are beyond detection or analysis by the 5 senses. But whatever one believes about the origins of the physical laws we are surrounded by, barring spiritual intervention, we are bound by them. To better understand them and apply them is not a bad thing.
So, yes, science and God do fit together. I believe there wouldn’t be the former without the later. I am thankful to the later.
I believe we need to be honest with both.
Gunga din says
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/11/22/from-history-the-proclamation-of-thanksgiving/#comment-1156181
henry says
True.
science and religion are two roads that must lead to the same truth (Truth). He who died for us to open the gates of Heaven actually claimed that He is the Truth. I think that is what made me cling to faith as the key, the faith He had. Remember He was a man, just like us.
http://www.shroud.com
Interesting that that was also Pilates’ question to Jesus: what is truth (Truth).
You mentioned Newton and I remember that when he was questioned late in his life about what he had meant to science, he answered: oh, I just went to the beach and played with a few pebbles and stones that I found lying around…..
I think I know what he meant. If everything we know is given by a circle, than the more you know, the more you realize how much you don’t know. And, indeed, so it has been for me in these past 3 years that I did some climate research.
…….but nevertheless, I would not have been much the wiser if it had not been for all those here at WUWT giving me some of their inputs and knowledge….
Thanks, thanks you guys.
Perhaps the time will come when you can also learn a bit from me….
http://blogs.24.com/henryp/2012/10/02/best-sine-wave-fit-for-the-drop-in-global-maximum-temperatures/#comment-205
God bless you all!