Happy Thanksgiving!
Each year I like to remind our supporters to recall what life was like for
the Pilgrims who arrived on these shores in December of 1620. As the Plimoth Plantation
describes:
Many of the colonists fell ill. They were
probably suffering from scurvy and pneumonia caused by a lack of shelter in
the cold, wet weather. Although the Pilgrims were not starving, their
sea diet was very high in salt, which weakened their
bodies on the long journey and during that first winter. As many as two or
three people died each day during their first two months on land. Only 52
people survived the first year in Plymouth. When Mayflower left
Plymouth on April 5, 1621, she sailed back to England with only half of her
crew.
Nevertheless, a year after their arrival they sat down for a feast of
thanksgiving. They had befriended and made a treaty of mutual protection
with the Pokanoket Wampanoag leader, Ousamequin, also known as Massasoit to
the Pilgrims.
In the fall of 1621, the colonists marked their first harvest with a
three-day celebration. Massasoit and 90 of his men joined the English for
feasting and entertainment. In the 1800s this famous celebration became the
basis for the story of the First Thanksgiving.
It would be easy to focus on the passing difficulties of our time,
especially for those of us who fight daily to preserve the God-given
liberties that have blessed this land since the time of the Pilgrims. But,
as they did, we must pause to reflect on all that is good and on the Source
of this goodness. And as President Washington reminded Americans in his
1789 first Thanksgiving
Proclamation, we must also pray for good, constitutional government:
…beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to
enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our
several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our
national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws,
discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed…
As I reflect on this, I am particularly
thankful for all of you who donate to support our just
cause and for your many messages of encouragement, you send to me and
my hard-working Judicial Watch colleagues who, in “private stations,”
work for a “wise, just, and constitutional” government. We will
continue to fight for the truth and transparency, shed light into the
darkness and be a small beacon of hope for you and of other patriots of our great nation.
Thank you for your
continued support and, on behalf of all of us at Judicial Watch, I wish
you and yours a most blessed Thanksgiving!
Until next week,
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