thanks giving

There's simplicity in a Thanksgiving toast, a gracious act that celebrates the things in life that might otherwise go unacknowledged. With a gently raised arm and few words of reflection, feelings of the heart become joy-filled expressions. As you gather today with family and friends for the annual Thanksgiving celebration, here are few reasons to lift a glass:



To U.S. soldiers in Iraq, who, tasked with a difficult mission, persevere with pride, dignity and conviction and who sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice. And to retired Air Force Maj. George E. "Bud" Day, keynote speaker for Dallas' Veterans Day ceremonies, for reminding us, as he and those like him do day after day, year after year, that courage and valor aren't forgotten concepts in America.


To Mayor Tom Leppert and the new Dallas City Council for a welcome tone of respectful cooperation and renewed vigor. We remember when it wasn't always thus.


To Dallas voters, for the wisdom to decipher confusing ballot language and reject further delays to the Trinity River project. And, conversely, to City Council member Angela Hunt, for showing us how democracy can work. We did not agree with her position, but her efforts on the Trinity forced an important discussion about the future of the park and its road.


To Errol McKoy, Pete Schenkel and those other wise men who prodded and pushed to renovate the venerable Cotton Bowl stadium at Dallas' Fair Park. We can't imagine the State Fair without the Texas-OU game, and, for a few years at least, we won't have to.

To Ray Nasher, Lady Bird Johnson, Molly Ivins, Lamar Hunt, Margaret Hunt Hill, Wilford "Crazy Ray" Jones and so many others whose presence on this earth made Texas a finer place.


To Hank Lawson, Don Williams, T.D. Jakes and those countless others who selflessly devote their mind, body and spirit to improving the quality of life in southern Dallas. As the years roll by, we hope to see their efforts inspire others to join them.


To Thanks-Giving Square for providing an oasis of contemplation in downtown Dallas.


To key lawmakers in Austin, Rep. Dan Branch and Sen. John Carona of Dallas, who bulled ahead to get an important open-government question on the statewide ballot � whether to require roll-call votes on bills adopted in the Legislature � and to the overwhelming majority of Texans who answered with a resounding yes.


To state Rep. Fred Hill of Richardson, who became the point man in Austin for the thankless job of pushing for local-option transit elections so more North Texas cities can hook into the rail network. The proposal died in the House, but Mr. Hill's effort shined a vital light on the issue. Let his work not go in vain.


To Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, a UT professor whose questions led to a laudable compromise, with filmmaker Ken Burns stitching Hispanic contributions onto his documentary series, The War.

To Terrell Owens, or just "T.O." to you. We might not like everything about him, but he's certainly delivering on his popcorn-worthy promises this season and, in an upset, hasn't even been the Dallas Cowboys' most controversial wide receiver. And to Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, for proving that rich men can dance, even after hip surgery.


To manager Vicki Meek and others at the South Dallas Cultural Center, which recently reopened bigger and better after a nearly two-year closure. We missed you and have only great hopes for your future.


To the keepers of White Rock Lake, such a wonderful spot for early morning exercising and watching the fire-red sun rise above the eastern shore. And to the guardians of the Enchanted Rock State Park, where beautiful Painted Buntings abound.


To Troy Dungan, whose final weathercast this year ended more than three decades as a North Texas television icon. May his skies always be blue (or at least partly sunny).


To Prestonwood Baptist in Plano, for energy-conscious stewardship and recognition as the "Best Green Church." And to businessmen Dave Litman, Garrett Boone, and Trammell S. Crow, for tweaking the business community's environmental consciousness. And to former Dallas County Judge Margaret Keliher, who would have made a fine state environmental board member but still should have an impact as the first executive director of Texas Business for Clean Air.


To Alejandrina Drew, who brought life, energy and sophistication into the Latino Cultural Center, from literary readings, to dance, to gallery exhibits to free film screenings. And to Otis Gray for a superb job with the latin jazz band at Booker T. Washington.

To the Make-A-Wish Foundation, whose mission to give hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions embodies the spirit of thankfulness.

To Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins, for showing that it is never too late for justice in supporting the release of jailed men whose DNA tests ultimately revealed wrongful convictions.


To Stephen Colbert, whose bizarre and unconventional "run" for president made Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul seem suddenly mainstream and conventional. (Well, maybe not mainstream in the mainstream sense...)


To Bishop Kevin Farrell, for bringing a welcome, gracious and uniting presence to Dallas.


To the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance for its $20 million fundraising campaign. Pretending a problem doesn't exist won't make it go away.


And, finally, to those who find a way to decorate their homes for the holidays without anything inflatable. It's that time of year again.
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Millions of Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving today, a holiday tradition that dates back hundreds of years. But some say there's an attempt to remove the religious significance from this great American holiday.

President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving official in 1863. He proclaimed the last Thursday in November to be "a national day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent father who dwelleth in the heavens."

But for most of us - when we think of that first Thanksgiving - we think about the Pilgrims and the Indians.

RELATED STORY:
Thanksgiving and the True Story of Squanto
The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. Weak and sick - they began to die. The Pilgrims needed help to survive and they got it from an English-speaking Indian named Squanto.

Historian Peter Marshall explained, "Here comes this American Indian suddenly who speaks perfect English, who offers them his services. So they plant all this corn under his tutelage. In October the corn is ripe finally, and they want to have a celebration, a Thanksgiving celebration."

Marshall continued, "So they invite Chief Massasoit, who had taken Squanto in when he had no family, no relatives. So Massasoit and 90 braves show up for this celebration festival, and they had a three day celebration of feasting, bow-and-arrow shooting contests, foot races and relay races and games."

Although some would say it was just a day of celebration - historical records show it was a time to give thanks to God.

Rev. Paul Jehle said, "They looked at everything as a gift from God, even the sorrowful things they saw as God allowing that to perfect their character. So they were amazing Christians and great examples for us today."

For a lot of people thanksgiving has become a day to watch football, eat turkey, and watch the Macy's Day Parade. And these are not bad things, but some believe the most important part of Thanksgiving - giving thanks to God for our many blessings - is being down-played or left out altogether.

That's why private Christian schools like Stonebridge Christian School in Virginia make a point of teaching children the real Thanksgiving story - including the religious aspects.

"God was very much a part of that first Thanksgiving and we teach that," said Stonebridge history teacher Ed Sotto."

Parent Steve Elliott says he's glad his four daughters are learning the whole story.

And the students, who recently re-enacted the story of the Pilgrims at Jamestown, agree that the Thanksgiving story they're learning now is not the one they were taught in public school.

"In public school, we colored turkeys and it was all about the turkeys - like they were an idol," ninth-grader Anastasia Peele said.

Colson Vorwald, also in the 9th grade, said, "We were taught that the Pilgrims were thanking the Indians - not God - for the blessings."

What's sad is that here in the U.S. the day after Thanksgiving is often more celebrated than Thanksgiving itself. But many people like the teachers and students at Stonebridge are doing what they can to keep the true meaning of thanksgiving alive.