In order to thank God for the First Amendment, which was passed a week earlier by Congress, President George Washington issued the first National Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789:
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
(signed) G. Washington
Source: The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, 14 October 1789
The Real Story Behind Thanksgiving Did you know that the first [Plymouth Colony Pilgrim's] Thanksgiving was a celebration of the triumph of private property and individual initiative?
William Bradford was the governor of the original Pilgrim colony, founded at Plymouth in 1621. The colony was first organized on a communal basis, as their financiers required. Land was owned in common. The Pilgrims farmed communally, too, following the "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs" precept.
The results were disastrous. Communism didn't work any better 400 years ago than it does today. By 1623, the colony had suffered serious losses. Starvation was imminent.
Bradford realized that the communal system encouraged and rewarded waste and laziness and inefficiency, and destroyed individual initiative. Desperate, he abolished it. He distributed private plots of land among the surviving Pilgrims, encouraging them to plant early and farm as individuals, not collectively.
The results: a bountiful early harvest that saved the colonies. After the harvest, the Pilgrims celebrated with a day of Thanksgiving -- on August 9th.
Unfortunately, William Bradford's diaries -- in which he recorded the failure of the collectivist system and the triumph of private enterprise -- were lost for many years. When Thanksgiving was later made a national holiday, the present November date was chosen. And the lesson the Pilgrims so painfully learned was, alas, not made a part of the holiday.
Happily, Bradford's diaries were later rediscovered. They're available today in paperback. They tell the real story of Thanksgiving -- how private property and individual initiative saved the Pilgrims.
This Thanksgiving season, one of the many things I'm thankful for is our free market system (imperfectly realized as it is). And I'm also grateful that there are increasing numbers of Americans who are learning the importance of free markets, and who are working to replace government coercion with marketplace cooperation here in America and around the world.
Paul Schmidt
-- copied from http://FreedomKeys.com/thanksgiving2.htm which was copied from the Nov. 20, 1997 issue of THE LIBERATOR ONLINE at http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator/vol-02-num-21.htm
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." -- Psalm 100:4-5
I am thankful to God for my family, friends, and this great nation.which Ronald Reagan wonderfully described as "a shining city on a hill" whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere.
Police in Carlisle, Ohio seize computer of democRAT mayor Tim Humphries
Posted by DarthDilbert at 11/17/2009 10:47:00 AM
The mayor of Carlisle is under investigation for allegedly having inappropriate materials and photos on his city-owned computer that was located in his office at Town Hall.
Police Chief Tim Boggess said Friday, Nov. 13, that city police seized the computer used by Mayor Tim Humphries on Nov. 5 as part of an investigation that started Oct. 17, and that city police are being assisted by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.
The computer has been sent to the FBI for forensic analysis, Boggess said. He said he was expected to hear from the FBI this week. No charges have been filed as of Friday.
On Friday, Humphries, 41, denied any knowledge of the search warrant and the seizure of his city-owned computer.
What Is A Veteran? (Attributed to Father Denis Edward O'Brian, USMC) Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them, a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg - or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity.
Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet?
A vet is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel.
A vet is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th Parallel.
A vet is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.
A vet is the POW who went away one person and came back another - or didn't come back at all.
A vet is the drill instructor who has never seen combat - but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account punks and gang members into marines, airmen, sailors, soldiers and coast guardsmen, and teaching them to watch each other's backs.
A vet is the parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.
A vet is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.
A vet is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.
A vet is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket - palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.
A vet is an ordinary and yet extraordinary human being, a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.
A vet is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more that the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.
So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say, "Thank You." That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.
Again, two little words that mean a lot to any Veteran -- "THANK YOU."
On 21 November 2009 at 2:00pm there will be a fundraiser for 4 Paws for Ability at the Xenia Holiday Inn. 4 Paws is a Dayton area agency that trains and places service dogs for people with a variety of disabilities. They are a wonderful agency that does great work. They are also one of the only service dog agencies in the country that provides service dogs to disabled children. They rely heavily upon the generosity of donors.
The fund raiser will feature several vendors including Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Stampin' Up, Creative Memories and Party Lite as well as some independent crafters.
There is a $1 cover charge and a quarter auction as well as an opportunity to make purchases from the participating vendors. The quarter auction gives participants the opportunity to win a variety of items for as little as 25 cents each so bring your quarters. There will also be door prizes.
The cover charge as well as the quarters go directly to 4 Paws. In addition, each vendor will be donating a portion of their proceeds from orders that day.
Because space is limited, it has been requested that only those 18 years old and older come to the fundraiser on the 21st (with the exception of nursing babies).
We look forward to your being there to give 4 Paws some great support.
Government school indoctrinator fired from Clark-Shawnee Government School District
Posted by DarthDilbert at 11/09/2009 08:46:00 PM
A teacher with the Clark-Shawnee [Government] School District in Clark County was fired after a referee appointed by the Ohio Board Of Education reported that the teacher acted inappropriately with female students.
On Sunday, school board members voted unanimously to terminate the contract of 35-year-old Dennis Dahlberg. He submitted a letter of resignation, but it was rejected by the board.
Board members went along with the recommendations that were presented by the referee, John Butz, who was appointed by the Ohio Department of Education. The recommendation was based on hundreds of pages of testimony that was given by witnesses.
The resolution stated that Dahlberg's "conduct (with students) was hostile to the welfare of the school community." It was grounds for termination.
One female student reported in May 2008 that she was sent unwanted text messages by Dahlberg. Another female reported in December that she was directed sexually charged questions twice during class by Dahlberg.
A third student also reported that Dahlberg inappropriately touched her on the back during class.
Abortion practitioner admits "Yes i am" killing unborn children during abortions
Posted by DarthDilbert at 11/08/2009 06:20:00 PM
The late-term abortion practitioner at the new abortion center in Dallas has admitted in a shocking interview that he kills unborn children during abortions. Curtis Boyd is one of the few abortion practitioners to admit what he is doing, but he has no qualms with his job.
Boyd opened the first abortion center in Dallas in 1973 after the Supreme Court handed down the roe v. Wade decision allowing virtually unlimited abortions.
In an interview with WFAA yesterday after news surfaced that he re-opened his late-term abortion center, Southwestern Women's Surgery Center, in the huge metro area last week after more than a year following the closure of the Aaron's abortion facility, he makes a startling admission.
"Am I killing?" Boyd said. "Yes, I am. I know that."
The Fort Hood terrorist attack and Obambi's "shout-out"
Posted by DarthDilbert at 11/08/2009 06:18:00 PM
What he did by taking exactly 122 seconds to mention what happened on Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas should remain in the forefront until he leaves office on 20 January 2013. Can you begin to imagine what it had been like if previous Presidents had given a "shout-out" to someone before discussing major events? Can you picture President Ronald Reagan recognizing one of his former Hollywood pals before discussing the 23 October 1983 barracks bombing in Beirut, or when the Challenger exploded on 28 January 1986? What if President William Jefferson Blythe Clinton had pursed his lip and on 19 April 1995 took time out to recognize some friends from Little Rock in the audience before addressing the nation about the bombing in Oklahoma City? What if on the morning of 9/11 President George W. Bush offered his sympathies to the Texas Rangers for their 7-1 loss against the Oakland A's before addressing the deaths of 3000 American's? What if FDR had done this on 7 December 1941, or Johnson on 22 November 1963, and so on, and so on. If any of these President's had done anything remotely similar they would have been castigated around the world, but not Obambi. It's repulsive and disgusting.
Rather than apologize for America around the globe, he should apologize to the citizens of the republic which he represents.
Elementary epidemic: Eleven more uncovered videos show kids in government schools performing praises to Obama
Posted by DarthDilbert at 11/04/2009 02:53:00 PM
Big Hollywood has already posted a couple disturbing videos of young school children singing/speaking praises to President Obama, but when eleven more dropped in our email box it came as quite a shock. What seemed like an aberration now appears to be a troubling pattern.
Maybe “epidemic” is a better word.
Each one of the videos below is creepier than the last because the further down you go, the younger the children — brace yourself for kindergartners – except for the last and most disturbing video, which you have to see to believe.
Young captive minds, easily influenced, eager for direction, enlisted into a cult of personality focused on an individual who, other than being the first black president, has yet to accomplish anything of significance.
But Obama's skin color has nothing to do with this. Does anyone interested in retaining their merit badge for intellectual honesty really want to argue that Condi Rice or J.C. Watts would’ve spawned a dozen-and-counting tribute videos?
This is about brainwashing our children into Leftist identity politics. Sure, the schools can argue that they had some kind of parental permission — which, if true, is somehow even more disturbing — but who even considers doing something like this with young minds? That’s a rhetorical question.
There was some guesswork, but to the best of our ability the videos run from oldest to youngest, starting with high schoolers. We list the name of the school and the date the video was posted. From there, if it could be found (or a confident guess made), you'll find the schools' website, followed by the original title given to the video and any notes added by whoever uploaded to YouTube.
Mission Pawsible: 4 Paws for Ability Veterans Service Dog Program
Posted by DarthDilbert at 11/04/2009 02:52:00 PM
To honor the many service men and women who are still suffering from the conflicts of war, 4 Paws for Ability will be making service/assistance dogs available to help them lead a more independent life.
A special fundraising effort is being launched to be able to place dogs free to selected disabled Veterans of the most recent wars on terror stemming from the tragic events of 9-11.
While other organizations are assisting veterans with brain injuries and loss of sight, 4 Paws has selected to assist Veterans with mobility problems or hearing loss resulting from combat injuries. The disability may be a loss of a limb, balance issues, spinal injury, deafness, or other.
The service dogs will be trained to meet each individual veteran's specific needs which could include:
* Balance work * Stand and brace * Helping to pull a manual wheelchair * Turning lights on and off * Opening household doors * Pushing buttons to open automatic doors in public * Retrieving dropped items * Retrieving a phone in an emergency or other command items * Retrieving items from shelves and counters * Paying a cashier * Carrying items in a backpack * Hearing ear/Signal work * Any other skill that can help the individual live a more independent life
graphic of veteran in wheelchair to illustrate 4 Paws for Ability's Veterans Mobility ProgramGraphic of woman in wheelchair at the top of a group of steps to describe 4 Paws for Ability's Veterans Mobility ProgramVeterans with a physical disability other than traumatic brain injury from combat who have served our country in the War on Terror resulting from the events of 9-11 are eligible for the program.
4 Paws will be working with Veteran's organizations, the Veteran's Administration and other organizations to ensure proper placement and will use a selection process to evaluate veterans in need.
Once a service dog has been fully trained, the veteran will spend 10 days in Xenia, Ohio. Over the 10 day period at the training facility individuals will work with and become accustomed to their service dog and the service dog will become certified at the final day of training.
Air Compassion for Veterans will provide round trip airfare free of charge for any financially stressed, wounded veteran. For more information on this program go to: www.aircompassionforveterans.org
Graphic of veteran in wheelchair with hands lifted to illustrate 4 Paws for Ability's Veterans Program Veterans who are interested in this new program through 4 Paws that meet the qualifications stated above can contact us at our website or email Karen at karen4paws@aol.com.
Please include contact information, a few sentences describing the parameters of your disability, your veteran status, and whether you are receiving treatment for your disability, if so, please include the facility where you are receiving treatment.
Attached is a pdf file of the 4 Paws Veterans Service Dog Program Application.
Fair and not-for-profit use of said material by others is encouraged, as long as acknowledgment and credit is given, to include the URL of the original source post. All communications are assumed to be the original work of any who initiate the communication and the property of DarthDilbert, with free use granted thereto for publication in electronic or written form. The opinions and views expressed here, even where approved for display, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this website, the management, any entity or organization, my employer, my family, my dogs, the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (VRWC), Emperor Rove or anyone else.
Return of the Conservatives is intended to be a work-friendly spam-free website. Comments not compliant with this policy will be edited for content where necessary. Abusive or otherwise illegal comments will be reported to the proper authorities, up to and including the aforementioned VRWC and/or Emperor Rove for possible banishment to Club Gitmo. The Management is not responsible for commenters making a Clymer of themselves.