Blinded By Comfort

Today on NPR I listened to a discussion that centered around Thanksgiving. The commentator said that back in 1970, the descendants of the Mayflower arrival in 1620. planned a 350 year celebration. It was to include that first year, when they were said to have celebrated the first Thanksgiving in America, along with the local Native Americans.

A descendant of the Indian tribe, Wampanoag leaderWamsutta, was asked to speak at the ceremony. They asked that he give them a copy of his speech prior to giving it. When they read his speech, they said he could not say what he had written about the following atrocities and massacres that occurred years later. He refused to edit his speech to a more positive tone and instead, with the help of the tribes of New England, started a National Day of Mourning for Native Americans, that continues to this day, on Thanksgiving Day. It doesn’t get much press, if any.

With all the turmoil over Confederate Statues coming down and being moved, one needs to also think of what was done to Native Americans who lived where we live now!

Comfort blinds the eyes

Thankful that we don’t remember

those who were slaughtered

Thankful for all that we have

Memory loss keeps us silent

*

Comfort blinds our eyes

Memory loss keeps us silent

Our “God given rights”

Guns still sit in our closets

Should anyone come calling

• I should say, I am very Thankful for the blessings of life, faith, liberty, and family. But the dark side still haunts me!

National Day of Mourning (United States protest) – Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia