Happy Thanksgiving From Outside The Beltway!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Holiday feast

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at OTB!

It was 152 years ago that President Abraham Lincoln set forth the precedent that led to the fourth Thursday in November being declared a National Day of Thanksgiving with this Proclamation:

The year that is drawing toward 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 can not 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 theater of military conflict, while that theater 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 defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax 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 battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness 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 3d day of October, A. D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

And here’s the Proclamation issued by President Trump, his first:

On Thanksgiving Day, as we have for nearly four centuries, Americans give thanks to Almighty God for our abundant blessings.  We gather with the people we love to show gratitude for our freedom, for our friends and families, and for the prosperous Nation we call home.

In July 1620, more than 100 Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower, fleeing religious persecution and seeking freedom and opportunity in a new and unfamiliar place.  These dauntless souls arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in the freezing cold of December 1620.  They were greeted by sickness and severe weather, and quickly lost 46 of their fellow travelers.  Those who endured the incredible hardship of their first year in America, however, had many reasons for gratitude.  They had survived.  They were free.  And, with the help of the Wampanoag tribe, and a bountiful harvest, they were regaining their health and strength.  In thanks to God for these blessings, the new governor of the Plymouth Colony, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and gathered with the Wampanoag tribe for three days of celebration.

For the next two centuries, many individual colonies and states, primarily in the Northeast, carried on the tradition of fall Thanksgiving festivities.  But each state celebrated it on a different day, and sometime on an occasional basis.  It was not until 1863 that the holiday was celebrated on one day, nationwide.  In the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, of one of the bloodiest battles of our Nation’s Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the country would set aside one day to remember its many blessings.  “In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity,” President Lincoln proclaimed, we recall the “bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come.”  As President Lincoln recognized: “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.”

Today, we continue to celebrate Thanksgiving with a grateful and charitable spirit.  When we open our hearts and extend our hands to those in need, we show humility for the bountiful gifts we have received.  In the aftermath of a succession of tragedies that have stunned and shocked our Nation — Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria; the wildfires that ravaged the West; and, the horrific acts of violence and terror in Las Vegas, New York City, and Sutherland Springs — we have witnessed the generous nature of the American people.  In the midst of heartache and turmoil, we are grateful for the swift action of the first responders, law enforcement personnel, military and medical professionals, volunteers, and everyday heroes who embodied our infinite capacity to extend compassion and humanity to our fellow man.  As we mourn these painful events, we are ever confident that the perseverance and optimism of the American people will prevail.

We can see, in the courageous Pilgrims who stood on Plymouth Rock in new land, the intrepidness that lies at the core of our American spirit.  Just as the Pilgrims did, today Americans stand strong, willing to fight for their families and their futures, to uphold our values, and to confront any challenge.

This Thanksgiving, in addition to rejoicing in precious time spent with loved ones, let us find ways to serve and encourage each other in both word and deed.  We also offer a special word of thanks for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces, many of whom must celebrate this holiday separated from the ones for whom they are most thankful.  As one people, we seek God’s protection, guidance, and wisdom, as we stand humbled by the abundance of our great Nation and the blessings of freedom, family, and faith.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 23, 2017, as a National Day of Thanksgiving.  I encourage all Americans to gather, in homes and places of worship, to offer a prayer of thanks to God for our many blessings.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.

If you’re looking for something to do today between the parades, football, and streaming of whatever show you might be watching, you can always watch the best sit-com Thanksgiving episode ever over at Hulu, or just catch the best part below:\\

Additionally, as in the past, few real posts today absent major earth-shattering news, and probably not even then. However, in keeping with the political spirit of what we do here, I must once again share these classic clips from The West Wing

First, President Bartlet pardons a turkey:

Second, the great Joe Bethersonton calls the Butterball Hotline:

Enjoy the day, or the long weekend as the case may be.

FILED UNDER: Entertainment, Popular Culture, , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Slugger says:

    I am grateful for the thousands of blessings in my life, and amongst these I appreciate the ability to voice my thoughts. I especially wish to thank those that correct me when I’m wrong. It is hard for me to change so please be patient. Have a great day today, and let us all find a larger spot for gratitude in our hearts.

  2. James in Bremerton says:

    Thank you, Esteemed OTB Ladies and Gentlemen, for another successful year! May your turkeys be forever moist, and your crazy uncle’s visits to the first floor brief!

  3. Mikey says:

    A happy Thanksgiving to all. I hope everyone here has something–or even better, many things–for which they can be thankful.

  4. Liberal Capitalist says:
  5. James Pearce says:

    That WKRP clip is an OTB Thanksgiving tradition.

    That said, I’m kind of sick of dating “American” history to the arrival of English-speakers:

    In July 1620, more than 100 Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower, fleeing religious persecution and seeking freedom and opportunity in a new and unfamiliar place.

    Hotels and restaurants, run by Spanish speakers of European origin, had been operating in Santa Fe for a decade by that point, and that’s not even mentioning the actual cities that were founded by native peoples.

    The English don’t date their history to the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, so why should we date our history to the arrival of the English?

    At any rate, Happy Thanksgiving!

  6. grumpy realist says:

    Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

  7. Mikey says:

    @James Pearce:

    The English don’t date their history to the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, so why should we date our history to the arrival of the English?

    I have wondered this myself. I think it’s probably because most of our national “framework,” down to the language, came from the English colonies.

    You’re right, though, this does overlook a lot of actual history. The Pilgrims landed in 1620 but the Spanish had founded St. Augustine 55 years prior. Even the first permanent English settlement at Jamestowne was founded nearly 40 years after St. Augustine.

  8. Mister Bluster says:

    Good Food, Good Meat
    Good God, Let’s Eat!

  9. al-Ameda says:

    @grumpy realist:
    @James Pearce:
    @Liberal Capitalist:
    @Slugger:
    @James in Bremerton:
    @Mikey:
    @All OTB Staff:
    Peace and good heath to all
    (especially good health, god knows, after a full Thanksgiving dinner extravaganza.
    All the best

  10. de stijl says:

    This may sound weird, but I’m most thankful that my Mom died last month.

    She was going down that Alzheimer’s path steeply and quickly. She was rapidly becoming an empty vessel. I’m sad she’s gone, but I’m happy she died.

  11. de stijl says:

    I’m also thankful that Trump gave an incoherent “speech” to the Coast Guard (cuz it was the nearest, easiest thing he could be bothered to go to on Thanksgiving) in Riviera Beach, FL.

    Shorter Trump:

    [gibberish]

    Me!

    [gibberish]

    Me!

    then:

    “I said, how good is this plane? They said, well, sir, you can’t see it. I said but in a fight. You know, in a fight, like I watch on the movies.”

    and …

    So as bad as that hurricane was, and that was bad one. That was a big water job, right? It kept coming in and going back they couldn’t get rid of it. They’d never seen it. I guess it was the biggest water dump they’ve ever seen. But when you’ve got 16,000…

    and …

    We went together to Texas. We saw what you were doing. You just followed that storm, right next to that storm. You saved so many people. I still haven’t figured out how people take their boats out into a hurricane. Some day you’ll explain it. Jean was just telling me they actually do it to to save their boat in many cases. They’re not thinking about their life. They’re thinking about their boats. They go out in a boat and think think they have a wonderful boat. They’ve had it for years. It can weather anything and then they have 25-foot waves crashing down. And that would be the end of that. You saved a lot of people. I want to thank you. On behalf of the whole country and on behalf of us, what a job you’ve done. Thank you very much.

    [bashes lame stream media]

    then…

    The stock market on Friday hit the all-time high. The highest it’s ever been, ever. In your whole long life, the stock market is higher than it’s ever been. And that means your 401(k)s and all the things you have. You know whether it’s, even if you’re in the military. You have a country that’s starting to turn. We want to have a strong country.

    He’s saying that to random Coasties in Florida? OMFG!

    Seriously, just read the transcript. It’s gold.

  12. de stijl says:

    As God as my witness, I thought that Coasties had 401(k)s.

  13. michael reynolds says:

    I am thankful for lots of things, but among those things are this blog, with Doug Mataconis’s excellent analysis and tireless productivity making it what it is today.

  14. teve tory says:

    @de stijl:

    Trump reads like Hemingway.

  15. MarkedMan says:

    I also am thankful to Doug and Steven and James for the work they put into creating and running this blog. Especially since the audience, or at least the commenters, are probably far from the reliable Conservative cohort I suspect they envisioned when this whole thing started.

  16. de stijl says:

    @teve tory:

    Hemingway’s character descriptions and dialog were simple, but not simplistic. You could fathom the person and discern their psychological state in 15 words or less. Or maybe in fifteen paragraphs of fifteen words or less. (Side note: I both adore and abhor Hemingway as a writer.)

    Subtle, complex while appearing simple and direct.

    Trump’s public statements always take way more than 15 words (barring Twitter), are always self-aggrandizing, and are never subtle. You always know a Trump quote is about him unconsciously addressing his inadequacies, fears, stuntedness, and grudges. Trump is a simple to understand man.

    Today, the White House is not a clean, well lighted place. ; – )

  17. de stijl says:

    @teve tory:

    I’d go with Bonfire of the Vanities era Tom Wolfe on Trump quotes.

  18. de stijl says:

    @MarkedMan:

    I also am thankful to Doug and Steven and James for the work they put into creating and running this blog.

    Concur. They’ve done a man’s job.

    Especially since the audience, or at least the commenters, are probably far from the reliable Conservative cohort I suspect they envisioned when this whole thing started.

    How exactly did that happen?

    I get the Balloon Juice / John Cole journey from rah-rah patriotic war-hawk therefore reflexive anti -D, morphing into disillusioned anti-Bushite when things went south. Also, Little Green Footballs went down the same path. It’s uncommon, but it is understandable.

    But the OTB story / history is slippery. Is it commenter capture?

  19. Gustopher says:

    @de stijl: I’m thankful that I don’t have to be thankful for anything like that.

    I’m just sitting here alone in the dark, petting an old cat, and manning the pager so my coworkers can be with their families… (I saw mine a month ago, so I wouldn’t have to travel for the holidays or see them at their worst… ugh, family at thanksgiving)

  20. HarvardLaw92 says:

    Hmm. I’m thankful for many things. My wife (who I don’t deserve), my kids, the opportunities which have been presented to me throughout my life which allowed a kid from Baltimore to get to where he is today.

    Good friends, relative peace and security, and not least among them being able to converse with many of you here. Your intellects, breadth of experiences and sharp perspectives on so many issues have and continue to inspire and humble me.

    We’re blessed, all of us.

    Special note: today I’m also thankful that Flynn’s lawyers just terminated information sharing / cut off communication with Trump’s legal team. If you’re an attorney, this tells you only one possible thing: he either is cutting or has cut a deal to cooperate with Mueller, so winning. I’m thankful for winning as well.

    Happy Thanksgiving, folks. Be well 🙂

  21. de stijl says:

    @Gustopher:

    I’m thankful that I don’t have to be thankful for anything like that.

    Death can be good (kinda like taxes in a way).

    It’s a hell of a lot better than being holed up in a hoarder-style house with two year’s worth of unopened mail unable to remember yesterday or a minute ago.

    Dementia is a big, bad b1tch.

    If I ever find myself going down that Alzheimer’s / dementia path, I will (hopefully) take the gentleman’s Irish exit while I still have the consciousness to do so.

  22. de stijl says:

    @teve tory:

    Ah! Side-topic!

    Was Hemingway an Asperger’s person? High functioning Autism?

    Think about the prose style and how there was never interior monologue except for The Old Man and The Sea.

    People said things and did things in a a describable place, but they almost never *thought* things.

    There is a distinct lack of empathy in Hemingway’s stuff.

  23. michael reynolds says:

    @HarvardLaw92:
    Baltimore, eh? Ever spend time in Ocean City? I used to work there many moons ago.

    Chesapeake blue crab spoiled me for the west coat variety. To this day, after many Michelin starred restaurants, after too many four-hour-long tasting menus, in fact after working as a restaurant reviewer, there are damned few things as good as a Maryland softshell between two slices of Wonder bread on the boardwalk in OC.

  24. michael reynolds says:

    @HarvardLaw92:
    But, since I’m thinking food. Michel Rostang used to have an off-menu item of truffle sandwiches. Utterly simple, nothing to them, but goddamn. In the 7th IIRC.

  25. Teve tory says:

    @de stijl:

    Interesting stuff to ponder. Thanks.

    “I have the greatest internal monologue, Believe Me!”

  26. HarvardLaw92 says:

    @michael reynolds:

    We never really did. My grandparents were early purchasers of property on Gibson Island (still have the house). We spent most of our summers there. I agree, though. Once you’ve had the real thing (Maryland Blue Crab), you’re spoiled against everything else for life.

    One of the things I do miss is G&M crabcakes. I used to have them over-nighted up to NY from Maryland. If I could,find a way, I’d still be getting them delivered. Thus far, no joy.

    G&M and Faidley’s – best crabcakes in the world …

  27. HarvardLaw92 says:

    @michael reynolds:

    17th. I haven’t made it there yet, but I think I just discovered a reason to make the trek 🙂

  28. de stijl says:

    Aspie music:

    Talking Heads / David Byrne

    Guided By Voices

    The Mountain Goats

    Bright Eyes / Connor Oberst

    The Cure

    Buddy Holly

    Regina Spektor

    (maybe) Superchunk and Archers Of Loaf – jock aspie

    Researched the usage of “aspie” to determine if it is deemed derogatory. The quorum says go with “aspie” for now, but be prepared to backtrack if the wind blows different. “Aspie” is fairly bad-ass for a diminutive, so I hope it sticks.

    I am agoraphobic (sometimes profoundly, sometimes manageably). Profoundly agoraphobic really sucks, BTW, excepting the fact that no one else can witness the panic attack. Panic attack in public is my capital H Hell.

  29. de stijl says:

    @de stijl:

    Re: aspie music

    Also, complete sound track from Mr Robot because transitive logic. a maiore ad minus

    Ergo, Len = aspie band, Steal this sunshine, b1tch!
    Neil Diamond – total friggin’ suave aspie dude

    Not on Mr Robot, but totes aspie:

    Low – maybe every band from Duluth
    The Killers – maybe every band from Utah
    Jonsi / Sigur Ros – maybe every band from Iceland
    Bjork – I’ve already done the Iceland thing, but prob the ur example along with Guided By Voices and David Byrne
    every slow-core band

  30. MarkedMan says:

    @HarvardLaw92: Have you been back lately? My wife and I lived in Fells Point 20+ years ago, and we just took a ramble from the Aquarium to there and back. We were astounded at all the new upscale development. High rise hotels where there used to be crumbling unused parking lots walled off by barely standing chain link fencing. Beautiful office space and residential complexes where there were acres of razed-to-the-dirt brownfield. And more restaurants and shops then you could imagine.

  31. Barry says:

    Coming in late here, but thank you everybody who’s made a contribution to thinking, truth and intelligence here during the last year.

  32. Right here is the perfect website for everyone who really
    wants to understand this topic. You know a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually will need to?HaHa).
    You certainly put a fresh spin on a topic that has been discussed for ages.
    Wonderful stuff, just excellent!

  33. HarvardLaw92 says:

    @MarkedMan:

    It’s been a few years, but yea. WDS started all of that with Inner Harbor. It led to Harbor East. Fells, Canton, Fed Hill, Otterbein. All gentrifying like crazy, which is honestly amazing. I’ve heard anecdotally that it’s even happening in Dundalk.

    I love WDS for many reasons, but what he pulled off in Inner Harbor is near the top of the list.

    I grew up in Guilford (way up N Charles Street past JHU), and I can still remember a time when you just didn’t go anywhere near those areas if you had any sense. Amazing transformation.

  34. Gustopher says:

    @de stijl: I have anxiety problems too (general anxiety disorder, with a side of agoraphobia). Panic attacks in public aren’t a whole lot of fun, but if I have to have a mental illness, it’s the way to go.

    I also have bad gas that causes chest pain. Which makes me worry that I’m having a heart attack. Which causes anxiety responses. Which causes the chest to tighten. Which makes the chest pain worse. Good times.

    I am positive I will die when I actually have a heart attack and shrug it off as just another anxiety attack.

    All in all, less debilitating than depression, bipolar disorder or psychosis.

  35. michael reynolds says:

    @Gustopher:
    I have the opposite of anxiety about everything but money. Money is my tender spot. In just about every other area I have an over-abundance of confidence. Here’s a scene I’ve repeated maybe a thousand times: exit hotel room at a fast walk, swagger boldly. . . in the wrong direction. I have possibly the worst directional sense of anyone, ever, combined with cockiness and impatience. No one struts more confidently in the wrong direction than I. Drop me in a place like the Louvre without a map and I would never make it out alive… but I’d cover a hell of a lot of ground.

  36. de stijl says:

    @Gustopher:

    The cool thing about agoraphobia is that I am not ever anxious at home ;-). At home, it’s not really an issue. (Well except for that period when I had to wait until after midnight to roll my trash bin out to the curb or to check my mailbox. That kinda sucked. It’s better managed now, though.)

    I also have bad gas that causes chest pain. Which makes me worry that I’m having a heart attack. Which causes anxiety responses. Which causes the chest to tighten. Which makes the chest pain worse. Good times.

    Ah! The circle of anxiety. This, I know very well, my friend.

    I am positive I will die when I actually have a heart attack and shrug it off as just another anxiety attack.

    The first time I had a panic attack, I actually thought it was a heart attack.

    I was on a chock-full bus heading home from work so I’m standing doing the overhead hand-hold bar thingy (there’s gotta be a word for that), super stressed out from work and I cannot catch my breath, started hyperventilating, my arms go numb, so I can’t hold the thingy anymore, I sit down on the floor of the bus, and I say “I think I’m having a heart attack.” The driver stopped the bus; everyone’s looking at me, clustered around me to try to help; someone called 911; I’m hyperventilating and sobbing, tears and snot dripping off my face, freakin’ the eff out – AND EVERYONE SAW. Ambulance, ER, and me repeating “I wanna go home. I just wanna go home.”

    That evening, latent anxiety issues became full-blown agoraphobia like snap.

    What has helped the most (except for anti-anxiety meds) was letting friends and family know I was agoraphobic. Being “out” reduced my stress level a lot. I didn’t have to think of creative excuses as to why I couldn’t go to Joe’s house-warming. It is not a shameful secret, it’s just a thing akin to someone being allergic to peanuts.

    If you have not “Come Out” as a GAD / agoraphobic to those close to you, please think about doing so. It helped me tremendously. Also, remember your deep-breathing exercises when you’re out and about!

    Good luck and be well.

  37. de stijl says:

    More aspie music

    Death Cab For Cutie / The Postal Service / Ben Gibbard
    Ben Folds Five / Ben Folds
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Karen O
    Interpol (holy crap! think about it! Puppets in the Evil vid. totes friggin’ aspie)
    The Pixies / Frank Black aka Black Francis (mos def, max mos def)
    Jesus and Mary Chain
    Bloc Party
    Prince (reach?)
    Andre 3000 (further reach?)
    Wilco / Uncle Tupelo / Jeff Tweedy / Jay Farrar & that whole scene, but not The Jayhawks, etc.
    Morrissey / The Smiths (how did I miss that?)

  38. de stijl says:

    Golly, where is my mind!

    Joy Division

    and to a much lesser extent New Order (if at all)

  39. al-Ameda says:

    @de stijl:

    I’d go with Bonfire of the Vanities era Tom Wolfe on Trump quotes.

    Trump’s tweets will be compiled into an 8 volume set titled
    “Bonfire Of The Inanities, ” with the title in fake gold lettering, of course.

    It will be sold on QVC, purchase price $100.00, or in 4 easy payments of just $24.99, with a free night at the Trump SoHo included.