Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And for the first time in my entire life, I just am not feeling it. If we didn’t have family coming, I would just treat it as any other regular day.
Why? It’s not because of the election results. Well maybe a little. Ok…the election results do play a major part.
With all of the hatred and racisim and anger and fear currently spreading thru all corners of our lives, I am starting to realize the importance of the first Thanksgiving. It was the beginning of the end for Millions of Natives, either thru torture, murdered, being burned alive, raped, disease, being pushed away from habitable lands.
These are not facts and stories we hear about in school. There is so much hatred directed towards certain groups of people right now, that “celebrating thanksgiving” does not make sense.
Why celebrate when millions of people died? That is like celebrating any aspect of the Holocaust. Doesn’t make sense does it?
I am not saying do not be thankful. Do.
I am not saying do not spend time with family. Do.
I am not saying do not spread love, hope, life. Do.
But why do we save our thankfulness, our charitable giving, and our family time for 1 day? Why do we slave in the kitchen for people to sit down and eat a beautiful but quick meal and then move on? Why don’t we remember the truth behind Thanksgiving? Why aren’t we fighting with, or sending help to, our fellow water protectors and warriors? Why do we keep turning a blind eye to the Natives? To our fellow humans in thr LGBTQIA community? To our fellow humans in the Muslim community? To Women? To <Insert any group being targeted right now>? We know history. Why do we keep repeating it?