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Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 30,867
Master Elite Member
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A Patriot Thanksgiving Story - By Craig
Andresen
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Dear Patriot,
As we prepare for Thanksgiving,
the travel, family, friends and a feast, too many individual traditions
are there to mention. Some may volunteer to serve those who through
circumstances are homeless while others may take time to visit retirement
communities.
Some will remember our troops in various ways and I
hope we all take a moment to thank them for all they do to maintain our
freedoms.
There will be laughter, prayers, football, food and
stories told tomorrow.
Some will, no doubt, speak of the first
Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims, the Indians, their hardships and how they came
together.
I would, this year, like to take you back to a
Thanksgiving long ago which most never think of on this
holiday.
Before Thanksgiving WAS an official holiday it was still
celebrated. Perhaps now as we celebrate it today but, indeed it did hold
meaning.
The Thanksgiving of which I hope you will remember is that
of 1776.
A newly declared independent nation was at
war.
Thanksgiving was no longer thought of as a Puritan or holiday
of religion although the thanking of God was a certain factor. In 1776, it
was a holiday for Patriots.
Traveling to the home of relatives was
generally not done unless of course, those relatives lived in your
community. Distance was one thing and naturally, by carriage or horseback,
such travel would have been quite time consuming.
No, it was the
danger of traveling in 1776. On THAT Thanksgiving, those who celebrated,
as Patriots, would have become a target of the British
army.
Thanksgiving in 1776 would have been somewhat subdued and
spoken of ahead of time in hushed tones.
Neighbors likely would
have come together and shared the meal and in some places, where the sound
of muskets had been heard in previous days or where the British had been
spotted nearby, curtains would have been drawn or window shutters
closed.
No need to draw attention to a gathering, a large meal or
anything else that would signal a Patriot lived there.
In some
ways, that Thanksgiving, in 1776, was very similar to Thanksgiving
2012.
Families who celebrated at home were incomplete. Fathers,
brothers and sons were away from home, fighting for
freedom.
Families didn't know exactly where their loved ones were
or when they might return. Some had already lost a loved one to the war
and others had returned home, injured.
Unlike today, in 1776, word
of a family member in the war was scarce. The social media of the day back
then was a hastily hand written letter. Those letters would take, in many
cases, weeks to be delivered if they were delivered at all. Many fell into
the hands of the British and were destroyed.
Those lucky enough to
receive a letter still didn't know for sure, at the time they read the
letter, of the one who had written it was still alive.
Given the
tension of war...A war taking place on the lands of Patriots, in their
towns and cities or near enough to hear the canons roar, why celebrate
Thanksgiving at all?
For those IN the service of a new nation, that
Thanksgiving in 1776 would have been meager. The meal in most cases not
grand if there was a meal to be had at all.
But, there WAS
Thanksgiving.
It was about moral.
Throughout the war of
independence, Thanksgiving was celebrated to boost moral. The moral of the
troops and the moral of those at home waiting for their return or word of
their fate.
Thanks was given for those who fought and for those who
held the home front.
Thanks for the opportunity of a new
beginning.
Isn't that what those first Pilgrims celebrated
too?
Thanks for a new beginning?
In 1776, Thanksgiving would
have also been a celebration of Patriot spirit, and of
freedom.
Thanksgiving means many things to many people. We all have
traditions we celebrate and different cultures hold different
traditions.
Regardless of the differences, there should always be
one binding element.
In 1776, Thanksgiving was the first such
celebration in a fresh new nation.
As you celebrate this year and
as you give thanks, remember those who fight in far away places this
Thanksgiving day. Thank also those who, throughout our history, have worn
our country's uniform and the sacrifices they and their families
made.
And while you're giving thanks, thank too those Patriots who,
in 1776, stood tall in the face of tyranny and championed freedom for
without them, without their families and the sacrifices they gave, we
would not be a nation, independent, today.
Happy Thanksgiving and
may God bless you and keep you and yours safe from harm today and every
day. May God bless those who stand in harm's way for us and our freedom
today and throughout history. We thank God for them, all of them and their
families and friends. We thank God for all we have and all we are. We
thank God for freedom and liberty and for the opportunities we have been
given.
And we thank God for those who, in 1776, stood up and gave
us a nation.
We at RTR would like to give special thanks to those who have given
in the past and the 60 First members of the 1800 Club who give to support
us today.
We
still need patriots to step up and join those below who
sustain our work with a monthly financial
gift.
Please
use the links below to become a member of the
1800 Club.
Become a monthly donor:
Monthly: $
5 -
To see
a breakdown of our monthly needs or to make a one time
donation use this
link:
I wish to thank these Current
Sustaining Monthly Members of the 1800
Club:
Mark Ja.
Mike
Br.
Daniel Ko.
Shawn Re.
John Ha.
David Di.
William
Gr.
Tomoko Ko.
Jason Wh.
Robert Ab.
Rebecca No.
Craig
Ho.
Brad Ha.
ED Mi.
Evan Co.
Todd Ma.
Michael Fi.
Jill
ca.
mabel va.
Joanne Ha.
Mary De.
Clark Le.
Kenneth
Po.
William Cr.
Jeremy Ma.
Katii Bl.
Irene Ro.
Darcy
Wh.
Judith Da.
James Wa.
Larry Wi.
Dan Ha.
Jeanne
Hi.
Hector Ro.
Karyn Ne.
Michelle Ka.
Dominick Sc.
Michael
Ja.
Eric Go.
Anthony Pr.
Steve Be.
David De.
Dean
Sm.
David Ke.
Catherine He.
David Ma.
Donald Ba.
Dayton
Pe.
Dharma Ra.
Michael Ro.
Maggie Cu.
Clifford Li.
Marilyn
Ch.
Scott Sh.
Pat Ke.
David Ga.
Carmen Br.
Harold Hi.
The
dedicated patriots above have stepped up to make regular
monthly donations to cover the very real costs of
staffing, servers, utilities, internet, rent, and
phones.
Please step up and
join them in being a supporting member
and give $5 per month so we can meet our monthly goal
of $9000.
We need your
support.
Sincerely,
Gary S. Franchi Jr
National Director
Restore the
Republic
PS. Are you thankful for our efforts? Please show
us with your monthly supporting donation to Restore the
Republic.
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Entire Thread
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A Patriot Thanksgiving Story
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Russ
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11/24/12 10:11 AM
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