THANKSGIVING
We Americans are a curious lot: descendants of original settlers fleeing political and religious tyranny, or of later immigrants who saw America as a land of unfettered opportunity, a sharp contrast to homelands where only the privileged could own land, study at a great university, be tutored in a profession, and speak and write freely. We sought refuge from the interminable holy and family wars of Europe, and from the warlords of Asia. We learned, sometimes painfully, that a man’s greatest freedom, his most cherished, God-given ability and possession, is his right to think. Trying to learn the hard lessons of our individual pasts, we collectively sought to form a more perfect union.
We haven’t made it – yet.
We’re still trying to live up to the ideals set forth in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. To be sure, we abolished slavery, and gave women the vote, but we’re still striving to find some workable formula which assures equality of opportunity – a never ending quest given man’s historic discrimination against his fellow man on grounds of race, religion, social pedigree, gender, ability, education, etc.—but to our credit we try.
And, sometimes we zig when we should zag.
Soon after we broke bread and shucked corn with those Indians of Thanksgiving fame, we marched westward, took his land and his lifestyle, and demonized him in the popular literature of the day and endless Western movies. Now, seeing the error of our old ways, we are building a museum on Washington’s mall to honor the Native American.
We sacrificed treasure and our youth putting down fascism, nazism and communism, and, after compelling an end to World War II with our guns and bombs, we set about to build the up the economy of the entire world – and much of the prosperity around the world today is rooted in the generosity of the American people.
We didn’t hoard our way of life – we shared our dream by opening our shores, and by crafting a global commerce which improved the lot of much of the world.
And, thus, we are confused – that there are people who not only hate us but seek actively to destroy us through wanton acts of terrorism.
We have to learn new methods of fighting, or at least for protecting ourselves. – and our way of life. Truth is, we’ve never stopped fighting. The venues have changed since 1945 and 1952; we struggled with guerilla warfare in Asia and we’re not quite sure how to combat terrorists, and we’ve had American girls and boys standing in harms way in remote parts of the world for more than fifty years. But, we don’t flinch in our beliefs.
We also fight at home – for better schools and education, to end poverty, to shelter the homeless, to feed the hungry, to heal the sick – challenges which are unending because they are the reality of life. We haven’t conquered these enemies, either, but we push technology, care-giving, and service to ever-newer heights in our unending efforts.
We may not be a great society, or even a great people – but we are a good people – and we care enough about all these problems to try to solve them.
On this day, the rest of the world should give thanks simply because America is America.
For ourselves, we should give thanks – to the learned men who so wisely crafted our earliest union; to the flatboatmen who navigated our rivers and were succeeded by the great railroads in opening up our country to unparalleled economic growth; to the industrialists, even robber barons, who built our industrial core; to Jefferson and Seward who acquired the lands which created an ocean-to-ocean nation, to the farmers who made us the healthiest and best-fed people in history; and to all our pioneers in aviation, medicine, the law, the sciences, the arts, transportation, education and an endless list of service industries who ensure that we remain a land of opportunity and prosperity.
I was never more proud than when walking into meetings in more than 100 countries, I could say I represented the United States of America.
I feel that same sense of pride in the girls and young women who play our game – bright, skilled, ambitious, independent yet collegial, caring, always seeking to improve – much like our country, which they epitomize.
So, on this Thanksgiving day, I thank all the players, the coaches, the parents, the officials, the tournament sponsors, the myriad people who make the game possible. I am very grateful for the thousands who have made SPY such a success, and particularly all the coaches, parents/scorekeepers who help me keep track of the players and the games.
I will think of all these things, and of course my family, when I go to Mass this Thanksgiving, but, I will give special thanks that I am an American. RFH