CULLMAN —
Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart. — Seneca
If you could look inside any home today, what different from your own setting would appear?
Cornbread dressing instead of oyster dressing? Baked sweet potatoes instead of sweet potato casserole?
Perhaps the color of skin of those seated around the feast would be a little different. Maybe they are Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran or Catholic.
Differences are often easy to notice, while the ties that bind us may be overlooked.
On this American holiday, this time of giving thanks from coast to coast, we are in some ways more diverse than ever. America’s ethnic makeup has broadened. We celebrate heritages, but on this day unity truly has place in America.
The act of giving thanks is rooted deeply in cultures around the world, but in the United States Thanksgiving Day is one of the moments when all Americans seem be united. And in that point is the foundation for our future.
Much has been spoken and written about race and rights throughout the history of our country. But what we fail so often to realize is that families and individuals are really the same in the quietest moments.
The hope for good health, a steady job, education, and the freedom to speak and worship without persecution are desires we carry with us through life. We want our children to be safe and how opportunities as they grow into adulthood. We seek decency and peace in our communities and the places near us.
America has been through a bitter struggle with economic downturn and divisive politics in recent years. But this day stands as a reminder that while imperfections and toil are common lots in life, a thankful heart brings redemption and hope.
Give thanks for all things, even the challenges of the day. The hearts of Americans are never far apart where the basic needs and hope of life are concerned. Let thanksgiving be the building block of our future.
We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. — Frederick Keonig
Editorials
Giving thanks, our common bond
- Editorials
-
-
Taking the lead in education
The once-heralded ‘No Child Left Behind” education initiative from the federal level has just about run out of gas.
-
Moving into the future
Hundreds of local high school seniors are accepting their diplomas and preparing to turn the page in the next chapter of their lives.
-
Editorial: Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
This amounts to spying on an American news organization -- common practice in dictatorships but scary conduct in a democratic system that prizes the public value of an independent watchdog press.
-
EDITORIAL: The IRS' Turn to Answer Questions
Washington is now sinking its teeth into a real scandal: the Internal Revenue Service using ideological criteria to choose the targets of its attention.
-
Editorial: The house of death
The grisly details emerging from the murder trial of a Philadelphia abortion doctor place a glaring spotlight on a national disgrace.
-
Editorial: Murder, insanity and guns
James Holmes, the accused movie theater shooter in Colorado, would like for the public to believe he killed a dozen people because he was insane.
-
Lasting partnerships
Economic development officials have long noted the importance of expansions by existing industries and businesses in a community to lead growth.
-
COMMENTARY: Why does young adult fiction keep giving its heroines makeovers?
Over at This Ain't Living, s.e. smith (who, full disclosure, has guest-blogged for me at ThinkProgress) has an excellent post about one of the most pernicious trends in young adult fiction.
-
A spirit for moving forward
This weekend marked the two-year anniversary of a deadly day of tornadoes that streaked across Alabama, claiming lives and property and changing the landscape of many communities.
-
Faith and bombs
The investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing is pointing to the all-too-familiar theme of religious faith playing a major role in violence.
- More Editorials Headlines
-
Taking the lead in education
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy
Raw: 80-Year-Old Climbs Mount Everest
Wash. State Man Arrested Following Ricin Scare
Chain-Reaction School Bus Crash Injures About 50
Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death
Texas Students Coach Teachers on Fitness
New Forecasting Tool Eyed for Hurricane Season
Meet MJ, the Bike Riding Tabby Cat
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
