In the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation for a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens".
h/t: Tony Zapata
Some consider the Nation’s Capital as “Fantasyland on the Potomac”. Other outsiders are “Fed Up” with the Federal City. It's better to consider D.C. as “the District of Calamity” (sic).
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Flippant Food for Thought on Turkey Day
As most Americans are recovering from their tryptophan induced comas from enjoying the bounty of a Thanksgiving meal, it is worth considering that had Ben Franklin had his way, America’s national bird might have been a turkey.
In a letter to his daughter in 1782, Ben Franklin championed the virtues of the turkey over the bald eagle. Franklin wrote:
For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.
Franklin’s spirited defense of the flightless fowl was depicted in the 1972 Peter Hunt directed film 1776.
In defense of the colonial sage, Franklin was probably referring to barnyard turkeys protecting their territory rather than the feckless wild turkeys who tended to run and hide from intruders.
So as we consider the manifold blessings bestowed upon America, we should thank God that we feast upon the turkey rather than festoon it as our national icon.
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