[NFBMT] Thanksgiving Proclamations

Fri Nov 27 19:45:51 UTC 2020

Fifty-seven years ago, on Nov. 4, 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed this
Thanksgiving proclamation. Little more than two weeks later, on Nov. 22,
1963, he lost his life to an assassin's bullet during a trip to Dallas,
Texas. America is as divided as it has been lately and Kennedy's wish that
the nation unite around its shared ideals seems more important than ever.

The pandemic upended holiday gatherings this year. We hope you take time to
give thanks for all that's around you, and offer a hand up to those who need
it. 

Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts,
far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving. On
the appointed day, they gave reverent thanks for their safety, for the health
of their children, for the fertility of their fields, for the love which
bound them together and for the faith which united them with their God.

So too when the colonies achieved their independence, our first President in
the first year of his first Administration proclaimed November 26, 1789, as
"a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with
grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God" and called upon the
people of the new republic to "beseech Him to pardon our national and other
transgressions. to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and
virtue . . . and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of
temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best."

And so too, in the midst of America's tragic civil war, President Lincoln
proclaimed the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day to renew our gratitude
for America's "fruitful fields," for our "national strength and vigor," and
for all our "singular deliverances and blessings."

Much time has passed since the first colonists came to rocky shores and dark
forests of an unknown continent, much time since President Washington led a
young people into the experience of nationhood, much time since President
Lincoln saw the American nation through the ordeal of fraternal war-and in
these years our population, our plenty and our power have all grown apace.
Today we are a nation of nearly two hundred million souls, stretching from
coast to coast, on into the Pacific and north toward the Arctic, a nation
enjoying the fruits of an ever-expanding agriculture and industry and
achieving standards of living unknown in previous history. We give our humble
thanks for this.

Yet, as our power has grown, so has our peril. Today we give our thanks, most
of all, for the ideals of honor and faith we inherit from our forefathers-for
the decency of purpose, steadfastness of resolve and strength of will, for
the courage and the humility, which they possessed and which we must seek
every day to emulate. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that
the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.

Let us therefore proclaim our gratitude to Providence for manifold
blessings-let us be humbly thankful for inherited ideals-and let us resolve
to share those blessings and those ideals with our fellow human beings
throughout the world.

Now, Therefore, I, John F. Kennedy, President of the United States of
America, in consonance with the joint resolution of the Congress approved
December 26, 1941, 55 Stat. 862 (5 U.S.C. 87b), designating the fourth
Thursday of November in each year as Thanksgiving Day, do hereby proclaim
Thursday, November 28, 1963, as a day of national thanksgiving.

On that day let us gather in sanctuaries dedicated to worship and in homes
blessed by family affection to express our gratitude for the glorious gifts
of God; and let us earnestly and humbly pray that He will continue to guide
and sustain us in the great unfinished tasks of achieving peace, justice, and
understanding among all men and nations and of ending misery and suffering
wherever they exist.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the
United States of America to be affixed.

DONE at the City of Washington this fourth day of November, in the year of
our Lord nineteen hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the one hundred and eighty-eighth.

Proclamation on Thanksgiving Day, 2020

Issued on: November 25, 2020

On Thanksgiving Day, we thank God for the abundant blessings in our lives.
As we gather with family and friends to celebrate this season of generosity,
hope, and gratitude, we commemorate America's founding traditions of faith,
family, and friendship, and give thanks for the principles of freedom,
liberty, and democracy that make our country exceptional in the history of
the world.

This November marks 400 years since the Mayflower and its passengers faced
the unknown and set sail across the Atlantic Ocean.  Propelled by hope for a
brighter future, these intrepid men and women endured two long months at sea,
tired and hungry, to arrive in a new world full of potential.  In the winter
weather that greeted their arrival, they lost nearly half of their fellow
travelers to exposure, disease, and starvation.  Despite unimaginable
hardships, these first Americans nevertheless remained firm in their faith
and unwavering in their commitment to their dreams.  They forged friendships
with the Wampanoag Tribe, fostered a spirit of common purpose among
themselves, and trusted in God to provide for them.  The following year, they
celebrated a successful harvest alongside their Native American neighbors -
the first Thanksgiving.  This seminal event in the history of our Nation is a
continual reminder of the power of faith, love, perseverance, prayer, and
fellowship.

The Mayflower's arrival to the New World in 1620 also marks the arrival of
the first seeds of democracy to our land.  Absent the rule of a monarch in an
uncharted wilderness, these early settlers resolved to create their own
government through what is known as the Mayflower Compact.  Defined by
majority rule through elected leaders responsible for creating "just and
equal laws," the Mayflower Compact represents the first chapter in the long
tradition of self-determination and rule of law in America.  One hundred and
fifty-six years later, our Nation's Founding Fathers resolved to break free
from England, building upon the Mayflower Compact to establish an enduring
government whose authority came solely "from the consent of the governed."

This year, as our Nation continues to combat the coronavirus pandemic, we
have once again joined together to overcome the challenges facing us.  In the
midst of suffering and loss, we are witnessing the remarkable courage and
boundless generosity of the American people as they come to the aid of those
in need, reflecting the spirit of those first settlers who worked together to
meet the needs of their community.  First responders, medical professionals,
essential workers, neighbors, and countless other patriots have served and
sacrificed for their fellow Americans, and the prayers of our people have
once again lifted up our Nation, providing comfort, healing, and strength
during times of uncertainty.  Despite unprecedented challenges, we have not
faltered in the face of adversity.  To the contrary, we have leveraged our
strengths to make significant breakthroughs that will end this crisis,
rebuilding our stockpiles, revamping our manufacturing capabilities, and
developing groundbreaking therapeutics and life-saving vaccines on
record-shattering timeframes.

During this season of gratitude, we also acknowledge those who cannot be with
their families.  This includes the brave American patriots of our Armed
Forces who selflessly defend our sacred liberty at home and abroad.  And we
pause to remember the sacrifices of our law enforcement personnel and first
responders.  We are deeply grateful for all those who remain on watch over
the holidays and keep us safe as we celebrate and give thanks for the
blessings in our lives.

This Thanksgiving, we reaffirm our everlasting gratitude for all that we
enjoy, and we commemorate the legacy of generosity bestowed upon us by our
forbearers.  Although challenges remain, we will never yield in our quest to
live up to the promise of our heritage.  As we gather with our loved ones, we
resolve with abiding faith and patriotism to celebrate the joys of freedom
and cherish the hope and peace of a brighter future ahead.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 26, 2020, as
a National Day of Thanksgiving.  I encourage all Americans to gather, in
homes and places of worship, to offer a prayer of thanks to God for our many
blessings.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

DONALD J. TRUMP