Every Thanksgiving, we are reminded of the pilgrims’ and Indians’ famous gesture of peace and mutual understanding centuries ago. As we join with our families to feast, we are called on to count our blessings and thank God. This imperative is perhaps more relevant than ever in the hard economic times we are suffering now, and at a time when so many Americans see so much going wrong in the life of our nation.
We still live in a truly great and good nation, made so by both the greatness and goodness of its people. Evidence of this truth abounds. Even in this time of economic stress and public austerity and tight government budgets, America’s tradition of private philanthropy continues to thrive. This week, Carlyle Group Managing Director William Conway announced that he is giving $5 million to the Capital Area Food Bank to help construct a $37 million facility to feed the poor. The same spirit of generosity is motivating ordinary Americans everywhere, who are not millionaires, to give what they can.
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America is also great in other ways. Americans are free to talk about issues and we actually do it. Our high level of civic engagement is one of our enduring traits. Pending a full count, voter turnout in the recent election already appears to have exceeded that of the previous midterm. Acts of political violence remain quite rare in comparison with other nations. Americans think about issues and are properly unafraid to confront lawmakers. Public officials rightly lose elections when they act against or ignore public opinion or take their constituents for granted. And as we have seen in the ongoing saga over airport screening, public opinion is still capable of keeping government in check and prompting lawmakers to act.
Even in the darkest times, we must not forget about the relative prosperity and freedom we enjoy as Americans. Nor should we forget that these blessings come with great responsibilities. We must remain engaged in civic life, so as to promote the common good and hold our newly elected leaders accountable for what they do in our name. And in addition to the grave moral obligation we have toward our own families and our neighbors, we must also help less fortunate strangers in need. This is our special duty on this special day.
