Thanksgiving. The word alone conjures images of bountiful feasts, warm hearths, and the collective sigh of a nation pausing to reflect on its blessings. It all began with a little ship named The Mayflower, braving the icy Atlantic in search of freedom—a freedom so profound that the very act of its pursuit planted the seeds of a nation like no other. Those Pilgrims, half-starved and battered by the New England chill, shared their first harvest with the Wampanoag people. A moment of unity amidst uncertainty—a reminder that we thrive not by walls but by the bridges we build.
Fast-forward. The Constitutional Convention of 1787. A lady asked one Benjamin Franklin, “Sir, what have you given us?” His reply? “A Republic, madam, if you can keep it.” If you can keep it. There’s the rub. This freedom, this experiment called America, wasn’t a gift to be passively enjoyed. It was, and still is, a challenge.
Yet here we are, over 200 years later. People from every corner of the globe still look to these shores, yearning to breathe free. They come not because the road here is easy but because the promise is great. From the gilded Statue of Liberty to the humble towns where American dreams are sown, this land remains a beacon.
But let’s not forget, America sure has her struggles. The internal rift between people calling themselves Liberals and Conservatives is tearing at her very soul right now. It feels like we’re watching a family argue at the Thanksgiving table, each side talking but no one’s truly listening. Yet, just as every storm runs out of rain, this too will pass. One day soon, we’ll stop drawing lines and start reaching across them. People from these United States will again be calling themselves Americans, united not by party but by purpose, by the shared belief that freedom is worth the fight.
This nation draws its strength, not just from its military might or economic muscle, though those are formidable, but in the power of an idea, an idea that gave birth to the greatest document ever written by mankind, the US Constitution. In a world where countries like North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia crush dissent and stifle liberty, America remains the counterweight, the sanctuary. The world still needs this nation to stand tall because when the stars and stripes flutter in the wind, they signify hope, not just for us, but for those who are oppressed. No powerful country in the history of human civilization, none, has ever so consistently come to the defense of the weak, of freedom, of democracy and given aid to those struck by natural calamities. Great empires before us built walls and hoarded wealth, but this one? This one extends a hand. America has chosen to stand tall against tyranny, to stand up when no one else dared. And in those times when she falters, eventually, she finds herself and chooses the right side of history. Ask the Confederates about on who crushed slavery, ask the Soviets on who destroyed their empire, ask the Nazis on who stopped their march of terror, ask terrorists who lost their dark sanctuaries.
At times, America stumbles, sure. But when it counts, when the world holds its breath, she gets back on her feet, rolls up her sleeves, and does the hard thing because it’s the right thing. And that’s why the world still looks to her. In a time of shadows, she’s a light. In a time of doubt, she’s the promise.
So, as I sit here in my study, the smell of winter through the air and frost on the ground, I can’t help but feel grateful. Grateful for the visionaries who dared to dream of a republic. Grateful for the immigrants who enrich this kaleidoscope country. Grateful for the brave men and women who defend this land.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, let me chase my turkey and breathe deep the fresh air of freedom, in the land of the free, the home of the brave.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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A Kings 
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