Thanksgiving was established as a National Day of Thanks by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863.  Prior to that, Thanksgiving was a regional Holiday,
celebrated at different times, and not in every state.

Although the United States was in the midst of the bloodiest war in our history, President Lincoln felt that we still had many things to be thankful for, and
wanted to remind Americans of the blessings we enjoyed.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, we have family and friends who will not be with us.  Some are separated by distance, others by circumstance, and
some because they are serving our Nation.  But as we enjoy this Holiday, I think it appropriate to read the Proclamation as written by President Lincoln.  As
then, although we have family and friends in harms way, we still have many things to be thankful for, many of which are mentioned in the Proclamation.

Please have a safe and wonderful day, and may all of your loved ones be with you in spirit, if not in person.

Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863
By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly
enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to
penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled
magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations,
order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while
that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of
peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the
mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased,
notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength
and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing
with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully
acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set
apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I
recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence
for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the
lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation
and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the
Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln 

AS IT WAS – MEDIA COMPARISONS

I have opined previously on the fact that most of our media ignores or under reports successes by our military in both Afghanistan, and Iraq.  That many in the media are clearly biased against our military, or are so anti Bush that they allow their political beliefs to cloud their reporting, is no longer in doubt.  The comparisons in the media between Vietnam and Iraq however, while not valid from a military or tactical aspect, are correct in one respect.  The biased reporting does have an impact on how the American public is viewing the operations in the Middle East, and can have an adverse effect on both ongoing operations in those countries, as well as the eventual outcome.  While many espouse the claim that while they oppose the war they support the troops, this is given lie by a media that comes close to glorifying the activities of the terrorists, while disparaging the activities of our military men and women.
 

I am in the midst of reading David McCullough’s marvelous book, 1776, and could not resist reflecting on the print media of that time, compared to the media of today.  That most of the newspapers of the time were patriotic, and clearly pro independence, did not stop them from accurately reporting the outcome of the battles fought.  While they lamented the loss of a battle by the American forces, and grieved for the casualties, they also celebrated the victories of the Continental Army.
 

World War II was a more recent and radically different war.  Newspaper reports were augmented by pictorial magazines, radio and newsreels; reaching a vast audience in a timelier manner. Again, the reporting did not gloss over defeats, nor did they ignore reporting on casualties incurred by our armed forces.  However, all of the media were clearly rooting for the American military, and victories large and small received complete coverage.  No story was deliberately presented in a fashion designed to distort the events, or push an agenda that could be injurious to fellow Americans.
 

The change in media manipulation began with the Vietnam War, with stories emphasizing American losses, with little note of American successes.  Certainly, our military leadership did not endear themselves to the media, issuing often inflated “body counts’ of enemy dead or captured.  But the fact remains that most Americans under the age of 50 do not realize that the United States military never lost a single battle in the ten years we fought in that beleaguered country.  Not one.  Not even the often cited Tet offensive of 1968.  In fact, Tet was a disaster for the Viet Cong.  Their defeat resulted in the VC ceasing to be a factor of any consequence for the remainder of the war.  It was the North Vietnamese regular army that assumed all of the adversarial roles after 1968.  However, the perception of Tet, as fostered by an increasingly anti military media, was that we had suffered a defeat.  And that perception became a reality to the American public, with support for our involvement waning.  While I will most certainly be accused of over simplification, we did not lose the Vietnam War.  We quit, because Congress lost the will to keep our promises.
 

I am now wondering what the outcome of the Second World War would have been if it were reported by today’s media.  Frankly, I am chilled when I consider how very different the world might be if those we rely on to give us an accurate view of the days events had been charged with that responsibility a scant fifty years ago.  If I may, let me illustrate one possible scenario, based on an actual World War Two battle, using today’s reportage techniques.

FACT

June 19, 1944 - American Naval and Marine Air Forces destroyed 330
Japanese aircraft in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, while losing only
30 aircraft and 16 Pilots.  This battle became known as the Great
Marianna's Turkey Shoot.  Reportage at the time rightfully wrote of this as an extraordinary victory.  It provided the final impetus for America establishing air superiority over Japan for the remainder of the Pacific war.
 

Now, this same story, using today’s reporting methodology and agenda driven verbiage, might be told as follows.
 

Good Evening.  Bob Shieffer reporting from somewhere in the Pacific.
Military sources reported today the loss of over 30 American warplanes,
with 16 pilots confirmed dead.  Reporting from Task Force 58 is Elizabeth Vargas.  Elizabeth?
 

Hello Bob.  Elizabeth Vargas with Task Force 58.  June 19, 1944 is a day that
the sailors and airmen of this Fleet will long remember.  There is a
tremendous sense of loss today among the pilots of this Task Force.  At least sixteen of
their number have been lost in action to the experienced pilots of the
Imperial Japanese Navy.  In action over the Philippine Sea, American
pilots were often outnumbered, and flying the unarmored F6F Hellcat
fighters.  These planes, barely battle tested, were rushed into production
by Grumman Aviation to take advantage of the large contracts being offered
by the Navy Department.  The more heavily armored F4U Corsair has not yet
been made available to these pilots.  There are no plans as of now to
recover the bodies of these airmen, making their loss even more bitterly
felt by their fellow officers. Back to you Bob.
 

Thanks Elizabeth.  With additional details of this emerging story, we go to
Brian Williams, reporting from Supreme Allied Headquarters, Pacific.  Brian?
 

Thanks Bob.  The fog of war permeates the air at Allied Headquarters.
As often happens, inadequate intelligence and sketchy reports from the
front result in much confusion.  We do know that at least 30 US aircraft
were lost, with an unknown number of Japanese losses.  Claims of two and three hundred Japanese planes destroyed are unverified, and frankly, should be
largely discounted due to the normally inaccurate reporting of air
victories from Allied pilots.  Speculation as to how many of the American
losses were the result of friendly fire is rampant.  With the US Forces
divided into three separate groups, misidentification and fratricide are
inevitable.  Sources within the military have also speculated that losses
of US aircraft to friendly fire may have been counted by commanders in the
theater as enemy aircraft downed.  Bob?
 

Thanks Brian.  American losses in the Pacific continue to mount each day.
It is evident that the American military commanders have greatly
underestimated the ability of the Japanese Army and Navy to conduct
operations far from their home bases.  Congressional hearings on the
intelligence failures that led up to the successful attacks on Pearl
Harbor and other American and Allied bases continued in Washington.
Today's loss of both planes and pilots will no doubt enter into this
investigation.  For Main Stream Media News, I am Bob Shieffer.  Be sure to tune
in later for our own Katie Couric , with an in depth interview with the Swiss
Ambassador to the United States, a  country which has managed to maintain it's
neutrality during this lengthy conflict.
 

With this kind of reporting, how would Americans have reacted to our progress in the war against the aggression by Germany and the Japanese empire?  Would we have continued in an effort that ultimately cost the lives of 405,399 American men and women?  Would America have had the patience to stick out the inevitable losses, or would we have ‘quit’ by negotiating a cease fire and agreements to end hostilities, leaving Japan with much of Asia under their domination, and a Europe forever enslaved by the Nazi regime?    

 

MEIN KAMPF – PART DEUX

 

In Mein Kampf, dictated by Adolph Hitler to Rudolph Hess during his 18 month imprisonment after his failed coup against the German Republic, a detailed plan for a future greater Germany was laid out.  Included were plans for overcoming the limitations on the German military mandated by the Treaty of Versailles, a plan to dismember neighboring countries to expand the borders of Germany, the elimination of Jews from German territory, and the establishment of German hegemony over all of Europe.

 

When Hitler achieved political dominance in Germany, he promptly began the process of implementing those plans laid out in his book.  The world, and in particular Europe, chose to view Mein Kampf as propaganda, meant to further Hitler’s political career.  His rearmament program was ignored.  The militarization of the Rhineland was ignored.  The increasing segregation and marginalization of German Jews was ignored.  His demands for the partition of Czechoslovakia, and the subsequent loss of that countries independence, were agreed to in a policy of appeasement. It took the outright invasion of Poland, with the assistance of the Soviet Union, before democratic Europe woke to the perils of a Nazi Germany.  The most surprising aspect of this sequence of events is that so many people in positions of authority did not seem to be aware of the coming storm.  Hitler had written exactly what he was going to do, yet the elite of Europe were surprised when he did it.  

 

An October 2005 policy statement from Iran’s new president should have been a stark warning to all clear thinking people in the world; but in particular, to Europe and the United States.  Israel, due to its history, already understands the sequence of events which even now is unfolding.

 

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a major policy speech in honor of Jerusalem Day, one of the commemorations of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.  This speech, titled “A World Without Zionism”, was essentially a foreign policy speech, outlining some very specific goals of the government of Iran.  Ahmadinejad had some very interesting things to say about the future course of Iran’s relations with other nations, as well as how his government views other Muslims.

 

Not surprisingly, the speech contained the expected screeds against Israel, Zionism, and Jews.  What were new were the very specific threats against Israel, the United States, and certain member states of the United Nations. And just what did the president of Iran say?  Let’s take a look.

 

On Israel and the United States, Ahmadinejad was quite specific.  “Is it possible for us to witness a world without America and Zionism?  You had best know that this slogan and this goal are attainable, and surely can be achieved.”  “Very soon, this stain of disgrace (i.e. Israel) will be purged from the center of the Islamic World.”  The president of Iran is specifically threatening to attack and destroy not only Israel, but the United States as well.

 

On Europe, he was again pretty specific.  Referring to Western Democracies as the “World of Arrogance”, he said “We are in the process of an historical war between the World of Arrogance (i.e. Western civilization) and the Islamic world, and this war has been going on for hundreds of years.”  “This occupying country (i.e. Israel) is in fact a front for the World of Arrogance (i.e. The West) in the heart of the Islamic world.  This means that the current war in Palestine is the front line of the Islamic world against the World of Arrogance.” The president if Iran is acknowledging that the invasions of Europe by Muslims over the past thousand years are part of a war that is ongoing, and will be continued.

 

With regard to those who are not Muslim, he said “In this very grave war, many people are trying to scatter grains of desperation and hopelessness regarding the struggle between the Islamic world and the front of the Infidels…”.  The president of Iran is categorically stating that Muslims are at war with Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and any other non-Muslim.

 

When speaking of those Muslim countries which have reached an accord with Israel, Ahmadinejad had this to say.  “…He is an egoist and his hedonism leads him to recognize the Zionist regime – he should know that he will burn in the fire of the Islamic Ummah (nation).”  Egypt, Jordan, and any other Islamic nation which may agree to peaceful relations with Israel are now threatened with destruction by the president of Iran.

 

The parallels between the Ahmadinejad foreign policy speech, and Hitler’s articulated goals in Mien Kampf, should not be ignored.  Yet, the few mentions in the media about this major address seemed to focus only on his call for the destruction of Israel.  An analysis of his entire commentary should have raised warning flags all over the world.  Yet sadly, this seems not to be the case.  President Ahmadinejad has articulated not only the future actions of Iran, but has done much to explain the Iranian government’s actions over the past 25 years, which appear to be unexplainable to most western governments and media.

 

Iran has been the chief enabler of terrorism by Islamic Jihadists for over twenty years.  This seems to be perfectly understandable if Iran considers itself at war with Israel, Europe and America.  They not only support many of the terrorist organizations in the world, but they even established their own vassal organization, Hezbollah.  It is necessary to remember that Hezbollah has been at war with the United States during its entire existence.  They had killed more Americans than any other terrorist organization, prior to the attack of September 11^th.

 

Iran considers the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as only the first step in the elimination of the Jewish state, and the creation of a greater Palestine.  Doesn’t this seem to remind one of the fate of Czechoslovakia?  First, partition of the country, then elimination.

 

Iran is unquestionably on a course to develop nuclear weapons.  They already have the necessary delivery systems to attack not only Israel, but much of Europe, thanks to the technical support of the North Koreans, Russians and Communist China.  The statements by the president leave little doubt that he will use these weapons when they are available, since in his opinion, a state of war already exists between Iran and the West.  Do memories of the rearmament of Germany come to mind?

 

Despite these clear pronouncements of the official policies of Iran, much of the democratic world continues to treat these comments as just another political exercise, much like an American campaign promise.  A member state of the United Nations has directly threatened two member states, as well as those who do not share a specific religion.  Yet Iran remains a full member, with all rights and privileges intact.  Iran is continuing its development of nuclear weapons, yet many of the western governments continue to use offers of aid and trade to get a voluntary discontinuance of their arms programs.  Does the word appeasement ring any bells?   Iran continues to subsidize any number of murderers and terrorist organizations, yet most countries continue to maintain diplomatic relations with this government.  Iran is a major provider of supplies and personnel to the ‘Insurgency’ in Iraq, yet no condemnation of this support has been heard.  Iran has stated its intention to continue the Islamic war against European civilization, yet the only thing the European capitals seem able to do is issue statements saying Ahmadinejad’s comments are “unacceptable”.

 

I think that the United States, Europe, and the United Nations need to get a healthy dose of reality, and respond to the Iranian government in terms it will understand.  There may still be time to avoid a military confrontation, but that time is fast disappearing.  The recall of Iranian diplomats from more than 40 posts so that any moderates could be purged was but the next step in the implementation of the policies so clearly enunciated.  The replacement of suspected moderates by hard line Islamists signaled an escalation of demands and terrorist activities by a government committed to creating chaos.  I would suggest that the following actions need to be implemented without delay.

 

Iran should be expelled from the United Nations.  They have clearly violated the very basic membership requirements as listed in the UN charter.

 

Diplomatic relations with Iran by all European nations should be terminated.  Iran has already stated that it is at war with Europe, and has been for centuries.

 

All economic and trade relations with Iran must be severed, and a total embargo on all incoming and outgoing goods should be enforced. No nation should continue ‘business as usual’ with a country with whom they are at war.

 

As with any infectious disease, the political manifesto expounded by Iran’s leadership must be isolated.  While this will undoubtedly create hardships on the citizenry of Iran, a quarantine of this regime is necessary to protect the world from an ideology gone mad.  If effective, these actions may result in the people of Iran taking back control of their destiny, rather than allowing fanatics to dictate their future.  However, with the political will of Europe in doubt, and a mainstream media ruled by political correctness and blinded by an agenda of ‘understanding and tolerance’, I frankly doubt that any of these actions will be taken.  It will be up to the mullahs of Iran, and their presidential front man, to decide the fate of Israel, Europe and ultimately America, with a potential death toll not seen since the 1940’s.

 

The world did not believe Adolph Hitler when he said what he would do when he achieved power in Germany.  And the world appears to not believe Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he states what his intentions are.  Is 2006 going to be our 1939, or have we learned that the arrogance of power will cause extremists such as Ahmadinejad to tell us in advance exactly what they have planned?  Are we listening?

A POLITICALLY INCORRECT FOUR YEAR OLD

I noted with interest the story of the six year old boy suspended from school for touching the waist of a female classmate.  The charge was sexual harassment.  This followed on the heels of the two first graders suspended for bringing their GI Joes to class, along with the rubber four inch long rifle that comes with the doll.  The charge here was violation of the zero tolerance weapons policy at their school.  You have also no doubt heard about the grammar school boy who was suspended for drawing a picture of his family.  It showed his father holding a rifle.  That his father is in the army, and is presently serving our nation in Iraq, did not seem to satisfy the school administrators, who said the picture violated school policy as it showed a weapon.

The venerable battleship, the USS IOWA, can’t find a home to serve out her days in dignity as a museum in San Francisco, since the Board of Supervisors doesn’t want to glorify the military.  The University of Washington declined to approve a monument to Marine hero Pappy Boyington, the WWII ace and medal of honor recipient, because he did not display the characteristics that the University wants to ascribe to its graduates.

These occurrences are causing me to have grave concerns about my four year old grandson.  In an America where political correctness is the rule, progressive education preaches relativity when discussing right and wrong, violent criminals spend less time in jail than their victims spend in the hospital, patriotism is a choice rather than an obligation, and religion is treated like a contagious disease; he is going to stick out like a sore thumb. I fear that he is destined to run afoul of the zero tolerance mania affecting schools, or go against the efforts to turn all of our young men into metrosexuals.  You see, he is being raised as a boy.

My daughter, his mom, was an athlete in school, and encourages him to try any sport he has an interest in.  She is quite willing to pitch to him and play catch with a baseball, run pass patterns when he wants to throw a football, serve as a tackling dummy when he wants to practice blocking and tackling, and play defense against his attempts to drive to the hoop.  And if she is not available, grandpa will do as a substitute.  Mom, who is a nurse, is also active in the Boy Scouts, serving as a Commissioner and medic at various Scouting functions.  He is eager to reach 1^st grade, so he can join the Cub Scouts.  He already has said he wants to be an Eagle Scout, just like his uncle.  He has been to the local Scout camp on numerous occasions for events in which either his mother or I have participated.  He is already an experienced camper, and looks forward to being a real Boy Scout.

He also has a strong case of hero worship for two of his uncles.  His mother’s oldest brother has a small acreage, and this four year old has been on the tractor, front end loader, and Bobcat.  This uncle has an auto repair business, and the lad enjoys working with him, handing him tools, and learning how cars work.  The other uncle is in the military, preparing for deployment to the Middle East.  Because of his uncle’s status in the service, my grandson has had the opportunity to be in a tank, a helicopter, and a Humvee.  He has been on the observation stand to watch the soldiers practice on the rifle range, and heard the 105’s and 155’s fire.  He knows American soldiers are the good guys, and that they keep us safe from bad guys who hurt little children.

His other grandfather is a bow hunter, and is teaching the boy how to use a bow properly.  A cut down reflex bow and shortened practice arrows have facilitated his enjoyment of this activity, and he can hit his target at fifty feet eight out of ten tries.  I am a sport shooter, and my grandson has watched both skeet and stationary target shooting with rifles and shotguns. Two of his older cousins are police officers, and he has seen their pistols, and knows why they have a need for them.  He thinks police are cool, and dressed as a policeman last October, during Halloween.  He knows police are the good guys, and are there to help and protect us.

My grandson also joins us at church services, and has a healthy respect for the awesome power and love that God has for him.  He says that God makes thunder so that we will get out of the rain that the plants need to grow.  He thinks guardian angels are kind of like grandpas, because they are there to protect him, and keep him from getting hurt.  He is beginning to understand that while hurting people for no reason is bad, protecting yourself and your family is OK, even if you have to hurt someone to do that.  He kneels at church, and stands at attention and salutes when he sees an American flag.  For a four year old, he has a pretty good set of priorities.

Yes, he is being raised as a boy, so that he will be ready to be a man when the time comes.  That is, if he doesn’t have to change to accommodate the school rules.  My grandfather told me fifty years ago that neither common sense nor common courtesy are all that common.  I sure hope the common sense part doesn’t cause him problems.

Character Building – July, 2004

 

There has been a lot of discussion recently about Character.  Certainly, recent political commercials either emphasized character, or questioned character, depending on whether touting their candidate, or denigrating the opposition candidate.  The core values that define Character are still unchanged from those espoused by Plato.  Honesty, courage, virtue, loyalty and compassion are still the measurement of a persons Character.

 

My Grandfather perhaps said it best.  He told me that Character can be measured by what a person does when no one is looking.  I bring this up because of a conversation I had over two years ago with my youngest son.

 

He calls me every week, from his current assignment at an Air Force Base on the East Coast.  E-mails and snail mail are fine, but nothing beats the sound of your child’s voice, telling you that everything is OK.  Parents can tell from their sons and daughters voices if things really are OK.  Anyway, it is always a joy to hear from your child, no matter their age or distance.

 

He told me he was going to Baltimore over the 4^th of July weekend, to pick up two Fraternity brothers from College.  From there, they were going up to Washington, to meet with another other Fraternity brother, who was flying in from Georgia, to join them in Washington.  Four Iowa boys, Fraternity brothers and graduates of Iowa State University, spending the weekend in Washington.  I suppose there was a chance they would spend the time in a two-day party, as a kind of carryover from college days.  But somehow, I doubted it.  And I have specific reasons for saying that.

 

Of these four young men, three are former Boy Scouts, two (including my son) reaching the rank of Eagle.  While students at Iowa State, these four joined three other Fraternity brothers, and spent Spring Break in their Junior year at a Youth Camp outside Champaign-Urbana Illinois.  They had heard about a former Boy Scout Camp that had been given to a Youth Group that wanted to rebuild the camp for children with disabilities.  The young men spent their Spring Break that year rebuilding cabins to make them wheelchair accessible, installing showers with handicap assists, replacing windows and installing guide bars for visually impaired campers.  While we read in the newspapers about college students who use Spring Break as an opportunity to display behavior that many of us would find immature, these friends and my son were displaying what I would call Character.

 

So what are these four young men doing now, that makes me think this weekend get together would not be a two day exhibition of youthful indiscretion?  Well, the young man flying in from Georgia is an officer in the US Army Airborne.  The two young men in Baltimore work for the NSA.  My son is in the Air Force.  In other words, all four of these young men are involved in service to their country, although the roads they chose are different.  All of them have in the past displayed, and continue to display, the personal behaviors that can be counted as Character.

 

What caused these four to turn out the way they are?  Family influence?  Involvement in Scouting?  The influence of religion?  Perhaps the fraternity in college that they joined?  The college itself?  Maybe growing up in Iowa?

 

Frankly I don’t have an answer, although I suspect it is all of the above.  What I do know is that we are still raising children who understand what Character means, and are living examples that many things about America still work.  Pride in our country begins with pride in ourselves.  The Character of our country begins with the Character in ourselves.  And Character is still defined by how we behave, even when no one is watching.

 

Post Script

 

I received another call from my son on the 4^th of July.  He called me about 6:00 PM Iowa time, an hour before the start of ‘A Capitol 4^th’ Program.  He said that from where he was standing, he could see the stage with the National Symphony being seated, and could also see the White House, Capital Dome, Washington Monument, and World War II Memorial.  He wanted to wish the family a happy 4^th, and also said that every American should spend this particular Holiday in Washington DC at least once in their lives.  What a Character.