Thanksgiving message from GW

George Washington, that is ... this is sure to burn our blue friends!

Thanksgiving Proclamation by George Washington, City of New York, October 3, 1789

[All emphasis ours]

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th. day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and 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, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Clearly, were Washington alive today he'd earn the scorn of the "smart" people as a Red State religious zealot hellbent on pillorying every bugger and burning every pornographer at the stake.

Tragically, the anti-Religious Left -- as well as far too many federal judges -- have completely bastardized the "establishment clause" of the First Amendment. Presumably, though not involved in the crafting of The Constitution or The Bill of Rights, Washington would have had a pretty good understanding of the Original Intent of those who were. Washington understood what was inherent in our founding principles -- that Life and Liberty are gifts from God and that a free country needs to be a moral country.

In his Farewell Address, Washington noted that:

...

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men & citizens. The mere Politican, equally with the pious man ought to respect & to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private & public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the Oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure--reason & experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

'Tis substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule indeed extends with more or less force to every species of Free Government. Who that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric.

...

For those of you who are victims of public education, the words "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" mean exactly that: Congress can't designate a national religion nor can it prevent you from practicing yours, even if it's Islam.

That's ALL it means.

There is no evidence the Founders wished to banish religion from the public square -- indeed the Northwest Ordinance appropriated federal funds to teach the Bible to Indians. The notion of "freedom from religion" is the creation of atheist groups and activist (read: they don't give a damn what the Founders meant) judges.

Thanks to these model citizens, we get crap like this:

A California teacher has been barred by his school from giving students documents from American history that refer to God -- including the Declaration of Independence.

Steven Williams, a fifth-grade teacher at Stevens Creek School in the San Francisco Bay area suburb of Cupertino, sued for discrimination on Monday, claiming he had been singled out for censorship by principal Patricia Vidmar because he is a Christian.

"It's a fact of American history that our founders were religious men, and to hide this fact from young fifth-graders in the name of political correctness is outrageous and shameful," said Williams' attorney, Terry Thompson.

"Williams wants to teach his students the true history of our country," he said. "There is nothing in the Establishment Clause (of the U.S. Constitution) that prohibits a teacher from showing students the Declaration of Independence."

...

-more-

The same folks who celebrate hip-hop "culture", the boinking of anything that moves (and even some things that don't) and the dismemberment of perfectly healthy babies are threatened by a cross on the Los Angeles County Seal!

Sorry, blue friends -- Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks to the God of Abraham -- not Gaia, Allah or Baal. Try to clench your teeth and bear it while we superstitious morons bow our heads and give thanks to Him for the bounty and the Liberty we enjoy thanks to His munificence in placing us here rather than in Syria.