In 1985, President Ronald Reagan gave an especially poignant Thanksgiving Day address. Being the great communicator that he was, he articulated the core values that we all share in such a powerful way. He explained to Americans just how important Thanksgiving is to this country.
Reagan’s brief remarks are as follows:
Good morning, everyone. You know, the Statue of Liberty and this wonderful holiday called Thanksgiving go together naturally because although as Americans we have many things for which to be thankful, none is more important than our liberty. Liberty: that quality of government, that brightness of mind and spirit for which the Pilgrim Fathers braved the seas and Americans for two centuries have laid down their lives.
Today, while religion is suppressed in perhaps one third of the world, we Americans are free to worship the Almighty as we choose. While entire nations must endure the yoke of tyranny, we are free to speak our minds, to enjoy an unfettered and vigorous press, and to make government abide by the limits we deem just. While millions live behind walls, we remain free to travel throughout the land to share this precious day with those we love most deeply – the members of our families.
My fellow Americans, let us keep this Thanksgiving Day sacred. Let us thank God for the bounty and goodness of our nation. And as a measure of our gratitude, let us rededicate ourselves to the preservation of this: the land of the free and the home of the brave.
From the Reagan family to your family: happy Thanksgiving and God bless you all.
Could the president have said it any better? In the history of the world, I can think of very few nations, if any, that have set aside a specific day for thanking God for His blessings. We have so much to be thankful for. This Thanksgiving, take some to time to thank God for the many blessings He has so graciously bestowed upon you, your family, and this great country.
May we never take for granted God’s precious gifts. May we remember that these gifts should always be protected. And may we maintain a spirit of thanksgiving all year long.
From all of us at Family Council, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
