Reasons To Be Thankful

This year has been tough, and the next promises to be tougher. Why do we gather to give thanks?

With today's news constantly warning of dire economic time ahead, and a culture that sometimes looks to be unraveling at the seams, it must seem strange to residents of other countries that Americans still pause and find reason to give thanks to God for blessings that seem to be evaporating.

But those blessings are not all material, and the most important have proven to be quite durable and constant. The Pilgrims who started the tradition of Thanksgiving were not giving thanks for riches. They gathered to simply celebrate survival in a new land, and a new freedom to worship and prosper as they wished, without fear of persecution.

With a little thought, one can find several of the most important of these blessings listed in the preamble to our enduring Constitution:

'A more perfect union' - America may have stumbled, and we might have some rocky roads ahead, but we are still a better place to live than anywhere else in the world. Through the protections of our constitutional rights, Americans enjoy more freedom and opportunity than any other citizenry, and we are still that shining city on the hill that Ronald Reagan spoke of.

'Establish justice' - Can anyone argue that we, as Americans, don't enjoy a far better chance for a fair trial by jury, and rights of appeal equaled by none?

'Domestic tranquility' - Sure, we might argue among ourselves, but no one expects Rhode Island to call up their militia and attack Massachusetts. And as bad as 9-11 was, Britain, Ireland and Pakistan all have long histories of internal terrorism that we have managed to avoid.

'The common defense' - Our military troops are the bravest, best equipped and best trained force in the world. By bringing the battle to terrorists on their soil, they prevent those battles from being fought here. And not to be forgotten, the men and women of our law enforcement agencies fight a quiet, often unheralded war of their own, succeeding in alleyways and boardrooms to keep the lawless from preying on the defenseless'.

'The general welfare' - While the cradling arms of our welfare system may seem too extensive to many, starvation, pestilence and plague have been virtually eliminated within our borders.

'The blessings of liberty' - The freedom to speak out and question our elected leaders is one few people realize the power of. In many places of the world, the debate and dissent we enjoy are cause for mass executions. When we vote, we exercise the power to change the directions and policies of a nation from a curtained booth. This is an awesome privilege few have, and many hunger for.

And lastly, 'Our posterity' - All that we do as citizens and parents can be summed up in a few words: "To make things better for our children than they were for ourselves." And there is, and never has been, another place like America to make that a reality.

This year, while we offer praise, prayers and thanks for health and wealth, let's remember the underlying reasons we enjoy these things, and give thanks for those as well.

Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless!