Why some call Thanksgiving 'National Day of Mourning'

Thanksgiving during Revolutionary War

As families gather to give thanks for the blessings of America this Thanksgiving Day, some others will take a moment of silence for another purpose.

They are proposing that Thanksgiving become a holiday associated with sadness, guilt and remorse rather than celebration, thankfulness and good cheer.

The Rev. Irene Monroe, who blogs on religious topics for the Huffington Post and hosts an NPR segment on WGBH in Boston, counts herself among the growing chorus of progressive voices calling for Thanksgiving to be declared a National Day of Mourning.

They say America must remember on this day that the Native American peoples were treated brutally by the first American settlers from Europe, who brought war and disease to the North American continent.

Monroe says she is also using the Thanksgiving holiday as a time to "hope" that 32 U.S. governors who have said they don't want Syrian refugees delivered to their states will have a "change of heart." She writes:

"As I prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, I am reminded of the autumnal harvest time's spiritual significance. As a time of connectedness, I pause to acknowledge what I have to be thankful for. But I also reflect on the holiday as a time of remembrance - present and historical. Presently, I hope over this holiday season there will be a change of heart with many U. S. governors now closing their doors to Syrian refugees since the recent terrorist attacks in France. Historically, I am reminded that for many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is not a cause of celebration, but rather a national day of mourning."

Making connection to Syrian refugees

It is in this spirit of "connectedness," Monroe says, that we should not solely focus on the story of Plymouth Rock, "but instead as Americans we focus on creating this nation as a solid rock that rests on a multicultural and inclusive foundation. And, in so doing, it helps us to remember and respect the struggles that not only this nation’s foremothers and forefathers endured, but it also helps us to remember and respect the present-day struggle Syrian refugees face as well as the ongoing struggle our Native American brothers and sisters face everyday – and particularly on Thanksgiving Day."

And Monroe is not the only one who believes Thanksgiving should be turned into a holiday marked by political self-flagellation.

The Daily Gazette of Northampton, Massachusetts, reports that hundreds will turn out at noon on Nov. 26 for the 46th annual National Day of Mourning on Cole's Hill at Plymouth Rock.

Mohawk Bear Clan member Billy Myers told the Gazette the first Thanksgiving took place in the 1620s when the English settlers slaughtered about 500 Pequots and celebrated their victory with a feast. Myers described his ancestors' experience as "a dark time."

"Let’s be realistic here," he said. "The natives had no place here when the settlers came into town. There's no question about it. It's somewhat of a Thanksgiving myth that natives went and caught game and gave it to the settlers."

What do YOU think? Should Thanksgiving be a "National Day of Mourning"? Sound off in today's WND poll!

Are those who observe Thanksgiving immoral?

In another article in the Daily Cluster, Mercer University's newspaper, author Meghan Duffy takes it a step further, asking the question of whether it is even morally appropriate for Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving.

"With Thanksgiving Day looming, we once again come to the same debate over whether or not it is morally correct to celebrate Thanksgiving," she writes. "Is it okay to celebrate the unfair treatment of Native Americans by our ancestors? Shouldn’t Thanksgiving, instead, be a day of remembrance and mourning?"

Duffy laments the fact that the Wampanoag Indians were actually invited to the Pilgrims feast at the first Thanksgiving.

"The fact that the Pilgrims did not invite the Native Americans already makes Thanksgiving seem different. We are portraying it as this celebration of a grand act of kindness by the Pilgrims when, in reality, the Native Americans had to invite themselves."

She then points out that the peace embodied by the Thanksgiving feast was brief and a series of bloody wars ensued.

"One peaceful feast — a feast that the Native Americans were not even invited to in the first place — does not make up for years upon years of violence and death. Native Americans do not celebrate Thanksgiving. Instead, on Thanksgiving Day some Native Americans gather at Cole’s Hill in Plymouth to take part in a National Day of Mourning."

She concludes that Thanksgiving should not be celebrated by any American who has a moral conscience.

"If the Native Americans do not celebrate this day of 'kindness and celebration,' then we should not either. Taking part in a celebration on a day when others are mourning the loss of a majority of their ancestors is cruel and not something that we should be proud of."

The Boston Globe also joined the chorus with an article titled, "National Day of Mourning reflects on Thanksgiving's horrific, bloody history."

The annual event at Cole's Hill is "meant to expose the bloody history behind the November holiday," the Globe reports.

In 1970, Wampanoag leader Wamsutta Frank James hoped to speak about this overlooked aspect of history when he was invited to give a speech at a banquet celebrating the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. After reading a draft of his talking points, the dinner’s organizers decided to cancel Wamsutta’s appearance, which prompted him to start the National Day of Mourning.

"We call it a National Day of Mourning because when the Pilgrims and Columbus all landed over here, that was the end of our lives as we knew them – our land had been stolen," says Moonanum James, son of Wamsutta.

But should Americans feel guilty for setting aside a day, as suggested by President Abraham Lincoln, for giving thanks?

Should Americans mourn past history?

"Of course, none of this anything new," said Carl Gallups, a Baptist pastor in Florida and host of a weekly radio show who has also authored several books. "The radical liberal agenda has always been that of an anti-American and anti-Christian bias. The problem with Thanksgiving for that radical crowd is that the American Thanksgiving celebration is distinctly Christian in its origin, purpose, and message – and it is distinctly Americana."

Gallups, whose latest book is "Be Thou Prepared: Equipping the Church for Persecution and Times of Trouble," said those pushing the war on Thanksgiving fail to point out that almost every nation on earth originally came into existence when one people conquered another and Thanksgiving has nothing to do with that.

Regardless of the earliest failings of some of America's settlers – the current Thanksgiving celebration and national holiday is the result of various presidential decrees dating to our founding and, finally, a law passed by both houses of Congress and signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1942.

"Even our constitutional law-making process has acknowledged the distinctly American nature of this conspicuously Christian celebration. And, this uniqueness has the double position of being its honor, as well as the reason for the continual targeting and attack by the radical secularists," Gallups said.

Pastor, author, teacher Paul McGuire

Christian author, pastor and speaker Paul McGuire also believes there is an agenda among the left that motivates them to make war on Thanksgiving.

He said it's the same people pushing guilt and remorse over Thanksgiving who are waging war on Christmas and Easter.

"My opinion is that it is part of a larger strategic plan to deconstruct American history so that Judeo-Christian values are destroyed," said McGuire, whose latest book, "Babylon Code: Soving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery," takes on the global left and its war against Christianity and nations.

"We're not denying history; it is a reality that we treated Indians badly, but there were more good things that we did at that time and up until now and that's why people are still trying to come here to America today," he said. "But they're using the Indian thing as subterfuge, as a pretense for something else, because there's truth in it, but it's simply a pretense to strike down God and move us toward self-hatred and move us toward globalism. Every single reference toward God and Judeo-Christian values has to be removed, they've gotten rid of Christmas and Easter, so it has nothing to do with the Indians, it's not that the Indian wars didn’t' happen but they're using that to destroy Christian America, because it's the last thing that stands in the way of their all-powerful, globalist, humanist state."

McGuire said some Christians don't celebrate Christmas or Easter because they see many of the trappings, like Christmas trees, colored eggs and bunnies, as originating from pagan customs. Thanksgiving is in a sense the last pure Christian holiday and it is on the chopping block.

"But that's why I defend Christmas so much," he said. "People say why are you for a Babylonian holiday? And I tell them it's because it's still a powerful symbol of God, that God sent his Son to Earth. The left recognizes the power of symbols. It's the same thing with the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving – a powerful symbol that unites us as one country under God."

Ignorance of history

Pastor, author, radio host Carl Gallups

Gallups said all of the talk about a day of mourning revolving around the Native American experience is "laughable" and demonstrates an ignorance of the entire scope of human history. For one, it assumes that the Native Americans were completely innocent and free of any of the sins that infect the rest of mankind.

"The early American settlers from Europe did not find villages of child-like creatures picking daffodils and living in hippy communes," Gallups said. "Rather, we know from native American historical sources that many of them were continually about the business of conquering and savaging other tribes – even enslaving them. What was most of the savagery about? It was usually about territorial disputes and claiming new resources and lands for their tribes. Such has been the saga of sinful man since the earliest records of history."

This should not excuse man's evil, regardless of tribe or race, but it does put a more realistic understanding on how almost all nations were conquered and formed, he said.

"To idealize the American Indians as innocent, fun-loving, and sovereign owners of the continent of North America is ludicrous," Gallups said. "There is plenty of blame to lavish upon all nations for man's inhumanity to man. But attempting to wipe out a national Christian tradition that gives thanks to our Creator for feeding and sustaining us only magnifies the lunacy of the left."

Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson

Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder of Brotherhood Organization of New Destiny, a radio host and author of the book "The Antidote: Healing America from the Prison of Hate, Blame and Victimhood," said he won't be participating in the National Day of Mourning.

"This thinking is insane. Liberals are very unhappy people, they have very little peace within themselves and there's nothing we can do to make them happy, everything we give them, everything they have, they will never be happy, so let them mourn on Thanksgiving Day if they want to but the Americans who are grateful for this county we need to give thanks to God for giving us the best country this side of heaven," Peterson told WND.

Peterson said he can't see any reason to be continuously mourning the past.

"Every country has gone through some kind of war or battle at some point in its history, so let them mourn by themselves and the real people will celebrate and give thanks to God for a great country and for his many blessings," Peterson said. "These folks live to make one complaint after another. It's not that they care about the Indians or anyone else; they are just unhappy people who need to complain about something. I'm thankful to God for allowing me to be born here and for my country and for freedom. And on Thanksgiving Day, I will be showing my thankfulness to God and to my country."

Peterson said he will celebrate unapologetically Thursday by enjoying turkey and sweet potato pie "and knowing I am blessed to be an American."

"We don't have to go along with that guilt trip. That's how they feel, but I'm not going to let them pull me down into the hell they're in," he said.

Gallups said only a handful of countries celebrate a national holiday dedicated to giving thanks and America's Thanksgiving is truly unique in the way it celebrates the source of its blessings.

"While there are a little less than a double handful of nations that celebrate some type of 'thanksgiving' holiday at various times of the year and for various reasons, America's celebration is decidedly devoted to the blessings given to us by Yahweh of the Bible and His Son Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah and Savior. The very name 'thanks-giving' says it all."

Defeating the 'agenda of the miserable'

This "agenda of the miserable" is simply one more attempt to rid the United States of all things Christian and anything with a biblical message and biblical history behind it, he said.

"Regardless of how much they might be able to "secularize' the holiday – and they've been working on Thanksgiving and Christmas for decades now – they will never completely defeat the Christian celebration of Thanksgiving in America," Gallups said. "Just like Christmas and its carols, manger scenes, vesper services, cantatas and prolific greetings of 'Merry Christmas,' and 'God bless you!' – the Thanksgiving prayers, songs of praise, worship services, and family celebrations will, more than likely, never cease."

Gallups said that regardless of what the secularists are able to do with their attempts at watering down Thanksgiving into a bland, and silly meaninglessness, he will go on celebrating as usual.

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord ... and we will give Him the thanks He is due, everyday of the year – but especially on Thanksgiving day," he said. "I have a feeling a huge portion of America holds the same sentiments."

Related column:

The war on Thanksgiving by Joseph Farah