Thanksgiving supporterby Jesus Hills
Thanksgiving is a holiday established to remember the founders of the United States and all of the terrible things that they did to the Native Americans. Today, none of that matters. Yes, it is a remembrance of all the sacrifice that both the pilgrims and natives made; the bloodshed, the disease spreading, and even the destruction of natural habitats. But come Thanksgiving Day, who thinks about all that depressing stuff?
Today, Thanksgiving is about togetherness, family, love and food. The whole day is a symbol for what family is about, with food being the most apparent symbol. My entire family helps out with the Thanksgiving feast by putting all the love and care into the preparation of the turkey, stuffing, pies and yams.
No matter what familial squabbles are going on, this is the one day all of that is forgotten. Families gather to watch the Thanksgiving parade on television, kids get their fill of Barney blimps crashing into street lights and sending shards into the crowd while Broadway actors nobody has ever heard of perform extremely childish songs.Then the majority of the cooking starts by the time the traditional football game comes, all of this is being done as a family.
While the food bakes, boils, and steams, the entire family sits down and does some activity together. Whether they go down to the local food bank and volunteer for awhile, spreading around the holiday’s good tidings to those less fortunate, play a pick-up game of some sort, or just stay inside together and play a board game and listen to music.
Through all of this, togetherness and love continues to build. Later in the day, more family and friends come over, and it is all good times and merriment.
Finally, the food is ready to be eaten. Everyone is dressed in their best clothing, the dining room table is cleared of all the bills, the fruit bowl, and the dying flowers. A tablecloth is laid out with the good china placed in a setting fit for royalty. The food is served and everyone gasps and smiles with joy and pride. These gasps and smiles continue throughout the meal, all spliced in with cheerful conversation.
There is no possible way Thanksgiving can be construed as a bad holiday because it is about family, love, and togetherness. The transgressions of our forefathers and foremothers have been forgotten amid the joy and good food.
Thanksgiving Condemnerby Kyle Chidester
Thanksgiving is filled with vast spreads of extravagantly gross foods, moments and memories with friends you never see anymore, and family you don’t get along with, an overly publicized and exploitive parade through downtown New York, and a past inked in the blood and shame of this country’s natives. When you break it down, there’s not a lot that is very thankful about Thanksgiving.
Why is it that once a year, Americans insist on gorging themselves on the most obnoxiously colored, strangely textured and deeply nauseous foods? Even the word “yams” is weird and repulsive. Sometimes I think the only reason we eat disgusting things like cranberry jam once a year is because that is all we can handle. The only normal everyday food is the turkey, which renders enough leftovers it might last everyday for the next year.
And while you sit around the table, stuffing your face with these disgusting foods, with whom better to spend this feeding frenzy, than with friends you rarely see and family you have nothing in common with. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to catch up with those you don’t ever care to. There is something about the Thanksgiving table that always stirs up a conversation of something no one cares about or can come to an agreement on: whether it be politics, religion, or celebrities. They are among the most popular topics usually resulting in some sort of harsh feelings towards someone who was once a dear loved one. What a great way to ruin relationships.
Or instead of discussing controversial topics, why not avoid the small talk and ignore the real world by zoning out in front of the TV? Thanksgiving is always packed with mind-numbing entertainment. From the extraordinarily flashy Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, to the crucial gambles on football games, the television is just as a center of attention as the table spread. What exactly do giant balloons shaped like cartoon characters and bad pop music have in common with giving thanks?
The Macy’s parade is just another reason for Americans to soak themselves in the filthy muck of consumerism. It is soiled in the glit and glamour of popular culture. Oh, and I’m sure that those that lose hundreds of dollars by betting on the unlucky football team are especially thankful. It is awfully sad what Americans prioritize.
But what’s the saddest about Thanksgiving is its repressed and depraved myth of a past. The old fairy tale of how the Native Americans and the Pilgrims gathered together as a community for a great feast is a ridiculous facade of the real relationship. The rape, enslavement, and utter extermination of the Native Americans may not be something I want to remember, but trying to excuse it with a fictitious welcome party is just sickening.
As you can see, Thanksgiving is rather unthankful. This year, instead of following the old depressing traditions, why not go out and do something that is actually good for both yourself and others? Perhaps start a new tradition and give new meaning to Thanksgiving.