Right On: The president’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation

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OPINION — I wish a happy Thanksgiving Day to all. May you enjoy family and friends this weekend and may you remember with gratitude all the blessings you, your loved ones and the country enjoy.

President Trump’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation below reminds all Americans of the deeper meaning of this beloved holiday.

Presidential Proclamation on Thanksgiving Day, 2018

On Thanksgiving Day, we recall the courageous and inspiring journey of the Pilgrims who, nearly four centuries ago, ventured across the vast ocean to flee religious persecution and establish a home in the New World.

They faced illness, harsh conditions, and uncertainty, as they trusted in God for a brighter future. The more than 100 Pilgrims who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts, on the Mayflower, instilled in our Nation a strong faith in God that continues to be a beacon of hope to all Americans.

Thanksgiving Day is a time to pause and to reflect, with family and friends, on our heritage and the sacrifices of our forebearers who secured the blessings of liberty for an independent, free, and united country.

After surviving a frigid winter and achieving their first successful harvest in 1621, the Pilgrims set aside 3 days to feast and give thanks for God’s abundant mercy and blessings. Members of the Wampanoag tribe who had taught the Pilgrims how to farm in New England and helped them adjust and thrive in that new land shared in the bounty and celebration.

In recognition of that historic event, President George Washington, in 1789, issued a proclamation declaring the first national day of thanksgiving. He called upon the people of the United States to unite in rendering unto God our sincere and humble gratitude “for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country” and “the favorable interpositions of his Providence.”

President Abraham Lincoln revived this tradition as our fractured Nation endured the horrors of the Civil War. Ever since, we have set aside this day to give special thanks to God for the many blessings, gifts, and love he has bestowed on us and our country.

This Thanksgiving, as we gather in places of worship and around tables surrounded by loved ones, in humble gratitude for the bountiful gifts we have received, let us keep in close memory our fellow Americans who have faced hardship and tragedy this year.

In the spirit of generosity and compassion, let us joyfully reach out in word and deed, and share our time and resources throughout our communities. Let us also find ways to give to the less fortunate whether it be in the form of sharing a hearty meal, extending a helping hand, or providing words of encouragement.

We are especially reminded on Thanksgiving of how the virtue of gratitude enables us to recognize, even in adverse situations, the love of God in every person, every creature, and throughout nature.

Let us be mindful of the reasons we are grateful for our lives, for those around us, and for our communities. We also commit to treating all with charity and mutual respect, spreading the spirit of Thanksgiving throughout our country and across the world.

Today, we particularly acknowledge the sacrifices of our service members, law enforcement personnel, and first responders who selflessly serve and protect our Nation. This Thanksgiving, more than 200,000 brave American patriots will spend the holiday overseas, away from their loved ones.

Because of the men and women in uniform who volunteer to defend our liberty, we are able to enjoy the splendor of the American life. We pray for their safety, and for the families who await their return.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 22, 2018, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather, in homes and places of worship, to offer a prayer of thanks to God for our many blessings.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.

DONALD J. TRUMP

Howard Sierer is an opinion columnist for St. George News. The opinions stated in this article are his own and may not be representative of St. George News.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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24 Comments

  • iceplant November 22, 2018 at 5:12 pm

    Idiocracy on full display.
    Thanks to you, Trumpeez, America is a laughing stock.

    • Happy Commenter November 22, 2018 at 7:27 pm

      TDS hahahahahaha!

      • iceplant November 23, 2018 at 6:11 am

        TDS? No. I switched from them to Kayenta Technologies. TDS provides crappy internet service.

  • homer498 November 22, 2018 at 7:43 pm

    I can’t believe I voted for this Pumpkinhead total & complete loser! I want my damn vote back! This can only end badly for America & Americans. He is going to sell us all out in the end. What’s to stop him from giving all of our sources & secrets away when or before he leaves office? He’d do it just to hear some “Putin Praise”. Who would stop him?

  • Pa Triot November 22, 2018 at 8:40 pm

    How pathetic. Three comments that show without a doubt what’s wrong with this country.

    • KR567 November 22, 2018 at 9:39 pm

      Pa Triot ….you got that right !

      • Utahguns November 23, 2018 at 11:04 am

        Copy that !

        • Utahguns November 23, 2018 at 8:04 pm

          Every newspaper usually has a “Funnies” section.
          The STG News is no different…
          The comical part about comments from our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant, it’s that they know so much that isn’t so.

    • bikeandfish November 22, 2018 at 10:17 pm

      In all seriousness, why should we take Trump’s press release seriously? Trump’s trademark is duplicity.

      Do you actually believe he cares about our nation’s soldiers or first responders? If so, why hasn’t he as commander in chief visited them in the field once or why did he fail to honor them this Veteran’s Day?

      Do you think a man that orders family’s separated for political theater truly believes that “the virtue of gratitude enables us to recognize, even in adverse situations, the love of God in every person”?

      Does a president that believes we should “find ways to give to the less fortunate” aim to cut off funding to fellow citizens in PR before they even have a semblance of basic recovery?

      I think most Americans value those ideals but I have seen Trump behave in a way contrary to them all as President.

      • Pa Triot November 23, 2018 at 9:31 am

        “In all seriousness”, I don’t understand all the hatred tossed at our current President. He’s not perfect……but he’s also not a politician. Past Presidents – both Republican and Democrat – looked America in the eye and told us what we wanted to hear. They did it with sincerity and ’politi-speak’ and for the most part, people bought it. Then after being elected, they went back to their true agenda, which was dictated by the the people they were beholdin’ to. (Be it special interests, peers, puppet masters, etc.). Our President wanted to “transform America” and he was well on his way to doing it and destroying it. In fact, he’s still out there trash talking. Where’s the outrage toward him? Oh, that’s right, he’s doing it sooo smoothly and with a big smile. Gotta love him, right?

        So President Trump comes in. He’s not a politician and he doesn’t have the smooth bs delivery of his predecessors….particularly that guy I just referred to. He’s brash, outspoken and doesn’t owe A thing to anyone. I served in the military, as did two sons and two grandsons. We Support President Trump. If Benghazi occurred on his watch, we don’t think he would have turned off the monitor and gone back to sleep. Then have his minions lie about the cause. We don’t think he’d release terrorists or send boatloads of money to a country that would love to nuke us. And praise a traitors family in the White House Rose Garden? Don’t think so.

        He didn’t visit Arlington on Veterans Day this year. I won’t go into the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. But as a combat veteran I will say I respect President Trump for what he’s done, rather for some photo op he’s missed. Americans spit on me, my brothers and sisters when we came home from Vietnam. It didn’t change my love for this country. Forgetting to tell me “Thank you for your service” one day a year won’t change it either. I want a President who acts, rather than one who tries to flatter me with words. My sons, grandsons and I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We’ve served our country on the ground……not as “keyboard commandos” behind some computer screen.

        • iceplant November 23, 2018 at 10:39 am

          “But as a combat veteran I will say I respect President Trump for what he’s done.”

          And just exactly WHAT has he done? Other than divide us as a nation.
          You support a draft-dodging coward, yet you say you’re a combat vet. The irony here is putrid.
          My grandfather, a WW2 vet who survived the battle of Iwo Jima and saw combat on Saipan is so disgusted with Trump that he voted Democrat for the first time in his 93 years. He is also a staunch conservative.

          Face it, America made a mistake in electing such a buffoon. You’re going to have to live with that. For crying out loud, my dog is smarter than your president.

        • bikeandfish November 23, 2018 at 1:29 pm

          I can respect your individual choice to support Trump but the “we” you reference isn’t so enthusiastic. His support among active military is dropping. Only 44% of them have a “favorable view” of him as a President. While a growing 43% disapprove.

          And visiting active duty military in foreign countries is more than photo ops. I can’t believe conservatives are abandoning this historic ground in their politics. The president visiting troops has always been recognized as a duty of service for the commander in chief. Its about moral and the recognition of sacrafice his policy dictates. Its a basic expectation of honor. And Trump fails at that.

          And how does your claim to ” want a President who acts, rather than one who tries to flatter me with words” square with Trump’s constant self-aggrandizing promises he fails to keep? ISIS? Still there two years later, ie > a month he promised. How is the VA doing? Last I saw its gotten even worse under his dime (no one wants that).

          How about the economy? Actually within the same metrics as Obama but with more self- congratulations not founded in emperical fact. My retirement account is roughly back to Jan 2018 levels and is actually performing worse than under Obama (ie still good) for average annual growth. GDP isn’t what he claims. Millions of middle class Americans will owe tax money in April because he sold us on lies to pass that bill.

          So don’t get me started about how you can’t understand why so many of us criticize him. You may find many of us did the same with Obama. Some of us are more loyal to values than we are to a POTUS. And many of us refuse to allow this President to continue to propogate and image that serves his ego instead of the truth and democratic values.

          I appreciate and honor your military service and do my best to learn from our historic mistakes in the treatment of soldiers. But I refuse to listen to individuals claim civilians also don’t serve and sacrafice for democratic values. That is utter BS. “Serving our country” comes in many forms and you yourself might want to respect that when dealing with differing political views. Especially as some of us are standing up for basic American principles as we speak.

          • Pa Triot November 23, 2018 at 5:37 pm

            Serving our country does come in many forms, we can agree on that. If you took my “keyboard commando” comment to mean serving in uniform is the only way to serve our country, you got it wrong. Maybe I could have said it better, as it was not my intent. Thanks so much for reading my mind and stating what I was really trying to say. That and other comments show me a mindset and agenda that speak volumes. So I’ll leave it at that and leave you and others free to pontificate away……..

    • iceplant November 23, 2018 at 6:08 am

      And yet you don’t even bother to point out what’s actually “wrong.”

      • Happy Commenter November 23, 2018 at 11:01 am

        Pointing^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

  • michael bodell November 23, 2018 at 5:12 am

    Oh oh, tell us about the part where Corporal Bonespurs awarded himself a Silver star for bravery under fire from gonorrhea and other hostile STD’s while REAL AMERICANS were dying from shrapnel and bullets. Donald J Trump putting his name to those words is an insult to every decent American in this country. Donald J Trump is grateful for himself and nothing else. Thanks for playing.

  • Ginnie November 23, 2018 at 10:54 am

    Trump doesn’t believe one single word of this “proclamation”! You know what Trump is thankful for???? This giant narcissist is thankful for himself!! That’s it! It came out of the horse’s mouth!! He’s a disgraceful!!!

  • Happy Commenter November 23, 2018 at 11:45 am

    The Trump Derangement Syndrome is strong in these comments.. Get a life.. move along and deal with it!

  • commonsense November 23, 2018 at 12:46 pm

    From my view America is perceived with respect and fear. North Korea and Iran how have the attention of a president who cares about national security.

    While Europe drops further behind economically, Asia and America are booming with jobs, lower taxes, rising GDP and a feeling of prosperity. France was second to America in GDP in the 1960s but along with the rest of Europe struggles with overtaxation and a workforce anesthetize by socialism.

    You critics who dislike Trump’s style, cannot dispute his results nor his love of America. He works for free whereas he could be luxuriating away from the hatred and abuse.

    • Comment November 23, 2018 at 2:10 pm

      Trump may be the second coming of our Lord JESUS CHRIST! He’s absolutely faultless in every way! An angel on earth! PRAISE THE LORD!

  • commonsense November 23, 2018 at 2:32 pm

    The first four commenters are watching way too much CNN. Give me a reference that supports anything you stated. The left is prone to throw out unsupported accusations, the media buys it and all of a sudden its truth when in reality it was a total fabrication.

    • Comment November 23, 2018 at 2:58 pm

      The media is agenda based because they’re owned by special interests. They don’t “buy it” because “the left””throws out unsupported accusations”. You really are not very aware of how the world works, buddy.

  • commonsense November 23, 2018 at 7:53 pm

    The media has one job and that is to sell their product. “Agenda based” means nothing. The media is business based. They love stories like Kavanaugh and ran with it to sell copy. The fact that it was pure fabrication didn’t bother them a bit.

  • Frank November 24, 2018 at 2:13 pm

    Obviously one of Trump’s speech writers wrote this. Trump is incapable of putting together a coherent sentence.

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