Posted by Dave on 11/23/05 at 11:24:19 am
Categories: Social Justice Ravings

Thanksgiving to me is somewhat like Columbus Day. It is a day to celebrate events related to the alleged origins of the nation. Of course we completely ignore the fact that there were people long before "the white man", and we are basically celebrating the destruction of these people and their culture and heritage.

But other than that Thanksgiving is great.

Well...and the fact that we all become gluttonous buffoons...

Jackie quotes "a guy" with some interesting thoughts about Turkey Day:

"Thus the antidote to feel-good history is not feel-bad history, but honest and inclusive history. "Knowing the truth about Thanksgiving, both its proud and its shameful motivations and history, might well benefit contemporary children," suggests Dorris. "But the glib retelling of an ethnocentric and self-serving falsehood does no one any good." Because Thanksgiving has roots in both Anglo and Native cultures, and because of the interracial cooperation the first celebration enshrines, Thanksgiving might yet develop into a holiday that promotes tolerance and understanding."

I struggle at times to give both the good and bad. I admit that. But part of the reason is that we all know the “good”. And no one seems to care about the bad.

We will all celebrate tomorrow by eating way too much food along side our family or friends, or maybe even by ourselves. We may talk or think about what we are thankful for. But my guess is that very few of us will even think about the people that we essentially eliminated. The culture that was shattered and destroyed by the "white man's" superiority complex. Few will think about it.

Will you?

[cross posted at Street Prophets]

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