(On the Left: Dick Gale)
THE POLITICAL NOTEBOOK
Giving thanks each fall is a long-standing tradition in America.
The Mayflower arrived in what is now Massachusetts, in November of 1620. That first winter was a bad one. The pilgrims were short on food, having taken a long voyage across the Atlantic. Most passengers remained aboard the ship and only about half of them lived to see their first spring in the western hemisphere.
The fall harvest in 1621 however, was a good one, giving the settlers hope for their future. A celebration was held in November of 1621 by the Plymouth colonists with the Wampanoag Indians, giving thanks for a successful harvest. I am assuming everyone had a good time at the celebration as it quickly became a tradition celebrated for more than two centuries. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln, right in the middle of the civil war, proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day.
Most Americans today have many things for which to be thankful: family, friends, food, shelter and of course, freedom. Most Americans are truly blessed. Many Americans are better off today than were their parents and much better off than their grandparents. There is an abundance of wealth in today’s America. We Democrats wish the distribution of our wealth reached down to the less fortunate so we could say all Americans are blessed.
One of the things we should be thankful for is our right to vote, a right for which many have died. It is also a right that needs to be protected. In California we can be thankful that our “blue” state works to increase voter participation for all, making registration and voting relatively easy. Our Democrats of Hemet-San Jacinto assist anyone who wishes to register, regardless of party affiliation. We are thankful that we will be able vote this March and again in November 2020, to help rebuild the middle class, to make sure all of our children are well fed, clothed, sheltered and educated. We also wish to ensure that we address climate change, promote equality of opportunity for all, and make quality healthcare available to all. We believe America is, and has been great for many years, but we can and should be better. Educate yourselves on today’s issues and exercise your right to vote. Make your children thankful that you promoted a strong, vibrant and compassionate America.
Dick Gale
President of the Democrats of Hemet – San Jacinto
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