Sun editorial:

Gratitude in America

Thanksgiving gives us reason to be grateful for the American can-do spirit

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009 | 2:06 a.m.

A cursory look at the past year can put a damper on this Thanksgiving Day. The nation has seen the recession worsen. Unemployment is at 10.2 percent, and economists say this could be a long, slow recovery. That is painful news to hear this holiday season, particularly in Nevada. Our state has the highest rate of home foreclosures in the country and is second only to Michigan in its unemployment rate.

So how can we be thankful today in the midst of what are arguably the worst economic times since the Great Depression? We look to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who came to office in 1933 when the unemployment rate hit a record 24.9 percent. When he issued his Thanksgiving proclamation the following year, the nation’s unemployment rate was 21.7 percent, more than double the current rate. In the proclamation, Roosevelt rallied the nation with a call to gratitude and service.

“During the past year we have been given courage and fortitude to meet the problems which have confronted us in our national life,” he wrote. “Our sense of social justice has deepened. We have been given vision to make new provisions for human welfare and happiness, and in a spirit of mutual helpfulness we have cooperated to translate vision into reality.”

He ended the proclamation by calling for people to “dedicate ourselves for the betterment of mankind.”

Those are words just as fitting today as they were 75 years ago, and we are grateful that we live in a generous country where people still help one another and look after their neighbors. We are grateful that Americans still have the freedom to achieve their dreams, working not only for the betterment of themselves but for their country as well.

It is that compassion and perseverance that have helped pull America out of past economic problems and, if people rally together, they will help the country move on to a better future once again.

Discussion: 12 comments so far…

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By mred

Nov. 26, 2009

3:52 a.m.

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let's thank john ensign for his heroism
By fosimmons

Nov. 26, 2009

5:50 a.m.

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Fellow Doers of Good - (those who cast for Obama) We have much to appreciate and thank God for this holiday and the first and foremost thing is we have a new President and a compassionate Congress. So far. We must declare victory and get out of Iraq and Afghanistan now, giving them the resources to hold on without our blood any more - our troops being blown to bits and pieces and murdered in an illegal and immoral war. We must have a national health care system which should be an extention of Medicare. New laws have to be enacted to regulate and protect pension funds, retirement funds and personal investments from Wall Street criminals. FICA taxes have to be raised so that at a certain level of income you STILL have to pay your fair share. A job program must be established on each military base across the nation that can put millions to work manufactoring all kinds of stuff we sent to India, Mexico and China (blue jeans, shirts, towels and on and on). A law must be enacted that any nation proven to be harboring intentionally, terrorists who have been proven to have attacked out country, will be attacked with our nuclear weapons (Libia could have been a beginning way back when Reagan used regualr bombs on them, the same President who declared relish and ketchup vegatables in the school lunch program) - a Goldwater extentional philosophy - eventaully, a nuclear weapon will be used, ours on them or someone else's on us. Also, very important, encourage Texas to withdraw from the Union and become its own little nation, as its Govenor threatened to do. This would, in itself, set in motion a furthering of our national preservation. Lastly, Congress should pass a law putting the American people's interest first and foremost before any and all issues before them (this based upon financial evaluation). Happy Thanksgiving, God Bless Our Troops and President Obama.
By judgesmales

Nov. 26, 2009

6:08 a.m.

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The unemployment formula of today isn't the same as in 1933 and 1934. If we figured unemployment today the same way they did then, our current unemployment rate would be about 16 percent, not the "headline" number of 10.2 percent.
By fremmasmind

Nov. 26, 2009

6:56 a.m.

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We were helped out of our Great Depression by our manufacturing base. This is something that was taken from us by our elected officials and big business.
By RebelRon

Nov. 26, 2009

7:55 a.m.

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Thanks for all your help Harry. Your really looking out for Nevada. Bastard!
13 months and counting.
By mred

Nov. 26, 2009

8:31 a.m.

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yo mandingo! did you take in the state funeral on the strip?
By fremmasmind

Nov. 26, 2009

4:01 p.m.

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Phargo I guess your the wizard of oz?
By POWERPLAY

Nov. 26, 2009

6:15 p.m.

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Why is it that the LAS VEGAS SUN can only speak about the American peoples can-do spirit only on THANKSGIVING DAY But then dos not speak out against SOCIALISM the other 364 days of the year. People should always come before GOVERNMENT always! The INDIVIDUAL comes first always!
By mikegino

Nov. 26, 2009

7:34 p.m.

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Dingo: In your esteemed and educated position, how much has the AfricanAmerican population contributed to the national GNP since the Emancipation Proclamation?