Thanksgiving Refugees

There's a war out there. But while the religious right is up in arms about people saying “happy holidays” and claims there’s a “War on Christmas,” they’re shooting wide of the mark.

The real battle is being fought on Thanksgiving. Or, rather, the meaning of Thanksgiving.

And we’re not even getting into the commercialization of the holiday weekend, the battle over whether individuals should work on Thanksgiving Day, or even why football fans have to suffer watching the hapless Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys host gridiron contests.

No, my concern over what Thanksgiving is supposed to represent stems from the political battle over Syrian refugees, which was suddenly heightened this month when ISIS terrorists wreaked havoc on Paris, Beirut, and Kenya, killing hundreds and strengthening the cry for nations such as the United States to take in Syria’s tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

Instead, what we are seeing is a very public display of fear mongering by politicians seeking to prevent said refugees from finding a home in a country build on the principles of taking in the wretched refuse of the world. Numerous Republican governors and presidential candidates have come out en masse with strongly-worded NIMBY messages to President Barack Obama, despite there being no legal means for states to prevent said refugees from residing within their borders.

It is a hypocrisy the United States is eloquently and expertly adept at showing to the world.

In the late 1800s, it was Native Americans whose lands were raided by military forces and herded into reservations,

In the late 1930s, it was European Jews who were denied entry into the United States due to religious bigotry, despite having allowed thousands of immigrants from all over Europe and Asia prior to the prelude to World War II and the execution of 11 million (more than half of whom were Jews) in concentration camps.

In the early 1940s, it was Japanese-Americans who were kicked off their lawfully-owned land and forced into internment camps because of unjustified fears following the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

And so on, and so on, and so on.

This is not what our nation is supposed to stand for. And while this stance would be appalling any time of the year, it seems especially glaring as we enter the holiday season. 

Thanksgiving Day is supposed to be a day of thanks, where Americans are reminded of the bounty of treasures that is a part of our lives. But Thanksgiving is also a call to action. It is vital for us to remember the word thanksgiving is composed of two words: thanks and giving.  We are reminded to give thanks and to share and give - to share our economic and material wealth, and to share also our time and talents with other people who could use our help. Regardless of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or residency status.

It’s time for this nation to do more than talk the talk. We need to walk the walk.

The Last Veteran

Last week, President Barack Obama dramatically shifted his Syria policy by announcing he would station around 50 Special Operations troops in the war-plagued country, ostensibly to "advise and assist" Kurdish and Arab fighters battling ISIS.

Whether this number represents too many (as many liberals believe) or too few (as is the belief among conservatives), what cannot be disputed is this adds to the number of United States military who will be actively involved in some form of operation overseas.

Today - November 11 - is Veterans Day, where we thank all men and women who have served honorably in the military during times of war and peace. And while with each passing year the surviving veterans of the Greatest Generation become a little thinner, and memories of their heroism fade a little deeper into history, the current generation is asked by our government to try and fill in those numbers.

Being in the military is for the most part a thankless job. But today is a day we, as citizens, can and should thank them loudly and strongly.

Today, these men and women - some tens of thousands of other Americans who have served in the United States Armed Forces, will be celebrated in Veterans Day parades in big cities and small towns. This includes recent graduates of area high schools who have chosen to don the uniform instead of attending local community colleges or out-of-state universities. It includes personnel who have returned home and found positions in the private and public sector. It includes those who are hoping to travel to Washington, D.C. on an upcoming Honor Flight, and those who may have served the nation without having ever been called into action in a hot zone.

There will sadly come a day not so long from now when we will read a news story marking the death of the last World War II veteran. A person of military age the day of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor (and the United States’ entry into WWII) is now more than 90 years old. According to statistics released by the Veteran’s Administration, our World War II veterans are dying at a rate of nearly 500 a day. This means there are only approximately 855,000 veterans remaining of the 16 million who served our nation in World War II (and less than 80,000 in Florida); by 2036, it is estimated there will be no living veterans of World War II left to recount their experiences.

Time indeed passes quickly. Today - indeed, on every day - let us show our gratitude and respect for their service, and the service of all those who have followed.