So, today is a holiday; 30 million Americans will hit the road, driving more than 50 miles today to celebrate this very American holiday. In San Francisco, on Alcatraz Island, indigenous groups will celebrate their own version of Thanksgiving, recalling the days of 1969 when tribes invaded the island, a federal piece of land and declared it a native American property. That situation lasted a bit longer than expected until the invaders saw the reality of a place without resources of any kind excepting terrible weather in the middle of an inhospitable salt water bay.
Platitudes will be heard, extolling the virtue of America. America- the hope of the world-still. Just recently. New York City has received over 163,000 asylum seekers of all stripes. Think about it: 163,000 people who: are broke, don't speak English; are largely unskilled; left homes and family forever; have no clue about anything other than they need food and shelter. Many are single men; many are children; many are women; many left family behind; many believe what they've been told: America accepts everybody and anybody and I fit those categories.
So, Thanksgiving. Those who are here are one up on those who have been returned; those who are waiting at various border points, and those somewhere they call home who want to leave dictatorships; sad economic prospects; and those who envision a new life, like my great grandparents who left homes, never to return.
Be thankful today. The pandemic is waning, the economy is improving; many student loans have been retired by the Federal government. Many colleges will have to seek new methods to extract funds from students. And there are alternatives to turkey meat.
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