Squanto's Inheritance

by Christopher Jon Batis

As Thanksgiving approaches, we Americans look forward to basically four days of turkey, football, family, friends, and the stampede-like rush that fills the malls with holiday shoppers driven by an endless barrage of consumer ads repleeting the airwaves, cable lines, and web pop-ups, promising great bargains for the Christmas holiday season on Black Friday.

We do all this amid the end of the fourth year in Iraq, nooses appearing indiscriminately fueling racial tension, beating drums of preemptive strikes against Iran, a President who thinks 200 billion dollars are better spent on a war rather than 36 on children's health care, a barrel of crude at almost 100 dollars each, and the appointment of a new Attorney General who doesn't think water boarding is torture, all neatly wrapped up in an enveloping, concentric ball of confusion about the future of our nation.

It is not my intent to politicize the celebration of the second most wonderful, heart warming holiday of the year, however, the inescapability of the holiday's historical roots cannot be helped if one is to avoid any hypocracy in its celebration.

You see, unfortunately, the history of Thanksgiving in America is rooted in the slavery and kidnaping of an obscure Native American personage named Squanto. Squanto was the liason between the so called pilgrims and the indigenous peoples of this land. After his abduction by Captain Thomas Hunt along the New England shore, he was sold into slavery to the King of Spain. He eventually escaped to England where he was captured again and returned here in 1619 as a pilot for another English sea captain. Upon returning to New England, after this horrifying ordeal, he escaped once more only to find that his people had died of a plague brought to this land by these sea faring English merchant slave traders. Two years later, these same English traders, who we now call pilgrims, were starving. Squanto, in spite of his treatment, helped the pilgrims survive by teaching them to fish and plant corn. He developed a friendship with the Massachussetts settlers and acted as interpreter at the Treaty of Plymouth in 1621 between the Native American Chief Massasoit and Governor William Bradford. He later became ill and died.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, it would do us all well to remember the lessons of humility, tolerance, and compassion left for us by this mostly forgotten Native American hero. If not for his civility, the pilgrims, our ancestors, would not have survived and leave us this inheritance we call America.

So, when you sit down in front the plasma TV, enjoying your turkey, hopefully free of Aviary flu, eating your greens, hopefully free of the deadly ecoli bacteria, pop open that brew to watch your favorite grown men throw and catch an oblong ball for outrageous millions of dollars a year, and start wrapping those gifts, some of which will end up in the hands of someone unintended, and those, for children, deadly with lead paint, remember that there are others dying for us to reap this privilege; remember that there but for the grace of God you can go to the mall in your car, fueled by overpriced oil, contributing to global warming, to buy those trivial gifts for unappreciative recipients, and eat to your heart's content while taking your lives into your own hands, and pray that your kids don't get sick if you are uninsured.

Realize the true spirit of Thanksgiving and make it last more than just those four days. Focus not on the trivial. Know your neighbors. Offer them a hand in times of need. Shy not away from acts of kindness. Teach not your children to condemn war, but to embrace peace. Uplift the weary. Be tolerant, humble, compassionate, and civil. Comfort those who make sacrifices for our benefit. Show the rest of the world that we truly have something to be thankful for. Ourselves. Our character. Our good nature. Our sense of dignity in times of despair. Our generosity. Our tolerance for that which seems opposite our own experience. Our willingness to give and our restraint to hoard. Let us be grateful and strive for all these things. Let us not forget the lessons of the past and be open to what we can learn today.

claudialong - "What I apparently did not get across is that if candiates are running on their relgion, which Mitt is, he has to expect that people are going to examine it, ask questions about it."

Oh I get it. You mean like Kerry running on his war record and the Swiftboaters examining that, asking questions about it?

Thanks, alewis! My favorites:

There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck Norris allows to live.

&

Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy, it is a Chucktatorship.

http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/

That Huckster's got a wicked sense of humor, I'll give him that.

Just to clear up for the confused out there, Chuck Norris has become something of a folk hero/Internet phenomenon over the past few years among college students, thanks in part to recurring segment on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." There's a series of humorous "facts" about him online that Huckabee's ad is clearly referencing (Google "Chuck Norris facts" and you'll find a link).

I condemned it, Andy. Robocalls are despicable, no matter who's amking them.

What I apparently did not get across is that if candiates are running on their relgion, which Mitt is, he has to expect that people are going to examine it, ask questions about it.

Only filthy tools of the VRWC would pick the Detroit Lions over America's Team(TM), the Green Bay Packers.

Traitor.

"What else do you do during the depths of winter when a thousand miles of wind is trying to blow your house down?"

Well,b... there's plenty of things I can think of, but watching Walker, Texas Ranger reruns is definitely not one of them! :)

I used to believe this statement was true, until moving up here: There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. Now I know better.

Tell you what, though...since Rudy is the only candidate to venture up here to the Peace Garden State, I will still cast my vote for him in the general, if necessary.

I have to say, i kind of agree w/Truthhunter...McCain's skipping the caucuses is a bad idea. Maybe it could be seen as a fiscally responsible move given that he skipped the straw poll, and there is no love lost for him in IA anyway.
Betting the farm on NH is risky, but less risky than Rudy's bet on FL, imho.

claudia, I'm noi the person to defend Mr. Guliani. I think he would be a nightmare. But, cpmared to Hillary Clinton he would be everyone's fairy godmother. I think Rudy Guliani is an opportunisic, self centered idiot. I think he has the morals of a dog. Hillary CLinton, on the other hand, given everything I know about her, is a genuine, honest-to-god sociopath. She is far more dangerous to our continued existance than Osama Bin Laudin, the nuclear weapons of North Korea or Pakistan, or any other threat we have ever faced as a people. Right now, if you value your skin, the campaign is ABC - *anybody* but Clinton. And I mean anybody.

CC, good NFL picks. Your college upset special...not so fast my friend. Texas is simply the better team and they prove it as they steamroll Texas A&M. McCoy & Texas defense comes up big and they dominate both sides of the ball, beating A&M by a comfortable margin. You want an upset pick for this weekend, look in Honululu and watch Boise State take on the 10-0 Hawii warriors. I think it will be very close, but Brennan is questionable and I pick Boise State to end Hawii's dream undefeated season.

Good luck to politicians campaigning on Thanksgiving. Everyone will be with their families, not paying attention to politics.

'And, if she is somehow elected president, she will make you, even claudia, *pine* for the days of the Bush presidency. Dick CHeney will appear downright moral and thoughful and honest in comparison.'

Oh please. She couldn't possibly be as bad as they are. C'mon. You wanna know who would be worse, much worse. Here:

"He is a scary guy," said Jerome Hauer, who ran the city's Office of Emergency Management for Giuliani. "He was probably one of the more divisive mayors the city has ever seen.

"People in this country should be very frightened of Rudy because he is not going to bring the country together," Hauer added. "Who knows who he'd pick wars with?"

When New Yorkers reminisce about Giuliani, they tend to recall his contentious moments -- threatening to pull funding from a museum over a controversial exhibit, disclosing sealed records of an unarmed man killed by police, insulting a city resident over whether ferrets should be pets, trying to place a homeless shelter in the district of a councilman he disliked or surrounding City Hall with barricades and barriers.

But voters nationwide, at this stage of the November 2008 presidential contest, seem to be thinking more about his calm and compassion after the deadly attacks in 2001 enough to anoint him the Republican front-runner.

"What they see is a guy that they heard was superb on 9/11, and he was," said former New York Mayor Ed Koch.

But, Koch added: "They don't know him. He's a really smooth, charming person. When you talk to him, you don't become aware from what he says to you of his history in New York City. I honestly believe on 9/10 he couldn't have been elected dogcatcher."

Koch said he supported Giuliani twice for mayor but, because of what he sees as his authoritarian and thin-skinned temperament, does no longer.

He has a "knee-jerk need to antagonize critics and people he perceives as enemies," said Rob Polner, editor of "America's Mayor: The Hidden History of Rudy Giuliani's New York." "He's not only punitive, but unpredictable, a bully, picking on weak targets."

proudtobeGOP writes
"I don't know how popular Chuck Norris is nationwide.."

well... there is a 40 year career in hollywood, including such timeless classics as 'Invasion USA' and 'Delta Force'. Not to mention a long run as 'Walker, Texas Ranger'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chuck_norris

Shoot, up in Dakota Territory, you should have all of his movies memorized by now. What else do you do during the depths of winter when a thousand miles of wind is trying to blow your house down?

Drindl, I am suprised with you
"I do have to point out here, however, that while attacking someone because of their relgion [whether it be Christian, Jewish, Islam, or any othr] IS unamerican, nothing that was said on the calls was untrue"

If this had been a GOP push poll against a Democrat you would be screaming bloody murder. What they are doing is wrong period. Demonizing a religion and a follower of that religion simply based on his or her religion is more then being Unamerican. It goes against almost everything this country was founded on. Things like this are why the Pilgrims left England.

' He doesn't invent these things. So calling him name, calling him a dirtbag, not liking him, doesn't detract from the accuracy of what he wrote. '

Novak just passes along gossip and hearsay and lies while prestending to be a journalist? I'd say tha qualifies for dirtbag status.

claudia wrote
"according to most the DC folk I know: [quotation excerpted]"

could you attribute your quotes? It doesn't have to be a link - an author credit would be nice.

Calling Bob Novak a dirtbag is like calling a wolf a murderer. Yellow journalism is what he does. For years, any time the goverment or some campaign wanted to release some salvo in a smear campaign, they passed it along to Mr. Novak and he wrote it up and printed it. He doesn't invent these things. So calling him name, calling him a dirtbag, not liking him, doesn't detract from the accuracy of what he wrote. Of course the CLinton's have a collection of hearsay evidence, half truth, distortions, outright inventions, slander, and gossip, that they will use against Mr. Obama. Of course, they used Mr. Novak to let Barak Obama know that they will utterly destroy him before they will allow him to actually win. They have similar packages on Guliani, Edwards, Romney, you name 'em! It's what the Clinton's do, it's what they did when Paula Jones and Jeniffer Flowers or Ms. Broaderick came forward. It's what Hillary Clinton did when she fired the White House travrel office. It's what she did with the missing White House files, the miracle of the cattle futures, the campaign money from China and India, and on and on. She's a gutter snipe, a genuine sociopath, always has been, always will be. And, if she is somehow elected president, she will make you, even claudia, *pine* for the days of the Bush presidency. Dick CHeney will appear downright moral and thoughful and honest in comparison.

rpinNH... U. Northern Iowa's record this season is 11-0, while I understand U. New Hampshire's is 7-4.

That's why we in Iowa have every confidence in UNI's success this Saturday!
Then.... what happens to your "victorious" predictions?

BTW, read that McCain is thinking about skipping Iowa's caucus, doesn't want to make a poor showing. Mistake?

http://whathappenedtomycountry.blogspot.com

Thanks, proud, I just thought it was really strange. I think Chuck Norris is kind of a joke/caricature to most people, so I still just don't get it.

Btw, Novake's smear campaign was designed to discredit both Hillary and Obama -- and Rove seems to be behind it, according to most the DC folk I know:

'Robert Novak was once a real journalist but after the events of the past few years, it's safe to say that he no longer can be considered anything but a Republican operative, specifically a Rove acolyte who basically works for him. He has more than proven his loyalty. This rumor, especially coming from him, should never have seen the light of day. MSNBC is running with the story like it's 9/11.'

"Chuck Norris? Is he going to patrol the entire border?"

drindl- I think it's supposed to be funny. He said on FNS that this was an initial ad to introduce himself to voters, and he will follow it up with a more detailed and serious ad about his proposals for immigration, border security etc.

I don't know how popular Chuck Norris is nationwide, but he did have a cameo in Dodgeball, and he's been a regular fixture hawking his Total Body poc with Cristy Brinklie. woohoo. Maybe this will play outside the beltway, who knows?

' In the ad, Huckabee appears alongside Norris and says "My plan to secure the border? Two words: Chuck Norris."

I had read about this, but hadn't seen the whole thing. Now that I have, I am totally baffled. Chuck Norris? Is he going to patrol the entire border? I mean, wtf? Does anybody get this?

judge crater writes
"bsimon, if by 'work' you refer to pulling a rabbit out of a hat, then I agree with your analysis. With all due respect, Biden's position in the Iowa polling data makes Richardson look good."

Yup, as I said earlier, its unlikley Biden will get any Iowa delegates. AndyR3 thinks Richardson is falling & Biden is rising; I suspect both will be below the minimum-support threshold in most caucuses. If that happens, its a 3-way split for caucus-goers, among whom I suspect Sen Clinton is closer to her ceiling than Edwards or Obama.

If you're talking about the Novak/Hillary thing, why would anyone beleive a word Novak says? He can't open his mouth without lying.

'Oh, yes, and investigators now are even reporting that elements of her campaign and the Guliani campaign may be behind the whispering campaign against Romney, too'

Are you talking about this:

'November 17, 2007 -- Mitt Romney cried foul yesterday over dirty-tricks phone calls to voters in Iowa and New Hampshire that raised questions about his Mormon faith.

The 20-minute calls started last Sunday in the two early-voting states, where the Republican presidential hopeful is leading - and some have accused rivals Rudy Giuliani or John McCain of being behind the so-called push polls. Both campaigns deny the allegations.

Those who received the calls said they were asked whether they knew that the former Massachusetts governor was a Mormon, that he had received military deferments when he served as a Mormon missionary in France and that his five sons did not serve in the military.

The callers also said Mormons did not accept blacks as bishops into the 1970s and that they believe the Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible, according to those called.

"The attempts to attack me on the basis of my faith are un-American," Romney said yesterday in Nevada.

The calls were traced to Western Wats, a Utah-based company.
Western Wats works with The Tarrance Group, the Giuliani campaign's chief pollster.'

I do have to point out here, however, that while attacking someone because of their relgion [whether it be Christian, Jewish, Islam, or any othr] IS unamerican, nothing that was said on the calls was untrue.

I believe I speak for all KU alums, students, and fans everywhere when I say with all sincerity, "Muck Fizzou." We'll be waving the wheat at the National Championship. Rock chalk.

" I only mean that the way it stands today, Biden has some work to do."

bsimon, if by 'work' you refer to pulling a rabbit out of a hat, then I agree with your analysis. With all due respect, Biden's position in the Iowa polling data makes Richardson look good. And both HRC and Obama keep climbing.

mikeB asks "Now that investigations have proven that the Clinton campaign really was behind the attempted "Swift Boating" of Barak Obama, I am wondering if the idiots that support her is dwindling?"

Well, lylepink? What is your positive spin on this? I'm sure you must have some campaign talking points to now disseminate.

p.s. (mikeB- Don't you think that Novak is really the dirtbag here. This "journalist" continues to sink to lower depths all the time in his reporting of gossip and leaks.)

The biggest question for this week and beyond is what kind of "scandalous" dirt HRC has on Obama? Is it just more "Osama" madrassa stuff?

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Chris
The real battle to determine what is more important -- the Iowa Caucus or the New Hampshire Primary will be settled on the football field -- University of New Hampshire taking on University of Northern Iowa this Saturday in the Division 1-AA football playoffs.

We are confident up here in the Granite State that New Hampshire will be victorious in November, and, will also be victorious in selecting the presidential candidates.

Now that investigations have proven that the Clinton campaign really was behind the attempted "Swift Boating" of Barak Obama, I am wondering if the idiots that support her is dwindling? Oh, yes, and investigators now are even reporting that elements of her campaign and the Guliani campaign may be behind the whispering campaign against Romney, too. What a dirtbag!

a vicious 'cricle' -- sounds sort of like a small crocodile or something.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/MarketTalk/wireStory?id=3885039

here, JD -- so what's the upshot? what if other countries, etc. DO keep keep losing confidence in the dollar? Isn't it a vicious cricle, that would mean the dollar? would weaken further and further, and oil would keep getting more expensive? what can be done about this?

Democrats crush Republicans in a new general election poll from Missouri, as they win all 12 general election match-ups! Link and numbers: http://www.campaigndiaries.com/2007/11/democrats-strong-in-minnesota-and.html

AndyR3, I agree with your analysis... Biden is definitely gaining ground in Iowa while Hillary's planted-questions and dirty tricks (Novak, push-polling) are hurting her as she tries to bring down Obama and Edwards.

I don't believe Iowans are in any mood for "anything goes" campaigns and candidates. Biden could well capture 4th....

CC and "Fix" posters... have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

http://whathappenedtomycountry.blogspot.com

AndyR3 writes
"I would say that [Biden] is defintly in a strong fourth place. He polls lower then Richardson but he is moving up while Richardson is moving down. Taken with the fact that he has by far and away the most endorsements of members of the democratic establishment in Iowa. If the beating up of Clinton Obama and Edwards continues to get nastier and nastier then people might get turned off and start looking for a new candidate, enter Biden."

Not to quibble, but I think you mean 5th, not 4th. I agree that Iowa is not yet a done deal, I only mean that the way it stands today, Biden has some work to do. In the category of 'statistics you don't want to count on' yesterday's NYT reported (as I posted in the other thread) that up to 60% of HRC's Iowa support is from people who've never participated in a caucus. If those people either don't show or find themselves easily swayed by long-time party members, HRC may find herself in a surprising position...

The question is who that benefits?

Claudia, can you provide a cite please for your quotes? Otherwise, it's tough to know the complete context.

And as a matter of shorthand, if the OPEC states (or anyone) moves to Euros and away from dollars and the dollar drops more, this means that:

1) Interests rates will go up (bad)
2) US Exports will rise (good)
3) Imports will become more expensive (good and bad)

The fact that oil is indeed priced in dollars means that about 30% of the rise in oil prices is attributable to the weakening dollar.

Bsimon,
I disagree that it doesn't look good for Biden in Iowa. Now he is obviously not in the top tier by any means, but I would say that he is defintly in a strong fourth place. He polls lower then Richardson but he is moving up while Richardson is moving down. Taken with the fact that he has by far and away the most endorsements of members of the democratic establishment in Iowa. If the beating up of Clinton Obama and Edwards continues to get nastier and nastier then people might get turned off and start looking for a new candidate, enter Biden. Now that being said he has a huge uphill fight, but he has 45 days to pull it off.

rdklingus writes
"do you think after coming off a strong debate performance and his Iowa presence, that Joe Biden might be doing better than expected for a "second-tier" candidate?"

An interesting question. The numbers certainly aren't friendly to Joe at the moment. Yesterday's NYT had a story on the candidates' positions in Iowa. Joe as it 4% or so. It will be a heck of a surprise if he can convert that into any delegates in the caucuses. Perhaps if his support is centered in a small area, he'll reach the 15% threshold necessary to score a couple delegates, but barring that, it doesn't look good for Joe in Iowa.

'Oil prices rose Monday with more talk among OPEC members about converting their cash reserves to the euro and away from the U.S. dollar.

Oil is priced in U.S. dollars and the currency's depreciation has contributed to rising crude prices and eroded the value of dollar reserves.'

Any economists out there can explain what effect this would have on our economy?

"We'll take the Detroit Lions"

Bold. Maybe too bold.

Sorry black friday

I am waiting to see if my prediction of huckabee passing Romney comes true in Iowa by thursday.
CC, you forgot that Ron Paul should be thankful for the blind support of his internet following. Although I bet that Paul doesn't beleive the government should sanction holidays and therefore doesn't practice Thanksgiving. He does practice Black Thursday though since that is a holiday that the "free" market created.

'Romney looks to highlight his accomplishments on healthcare in a series of "Ask Mitt Anything" town halls;'

This is quite confusing and misleading, CC. Mitty is running away from his healthcare plan in Massachusetts, because it's basically the same as Hillary's. So exactly what is he 'highlighting'? This is not reportage, it's stenography.

Chris, your column is always a must-read, but enjoy some time off. You certainly deserve it. Also, do you think after coming off a strong debate performance and his Iowa presence, that Joe Biden might be doing better than expected for a "second-tier" candidate?

"It's my intention, if we win this nomination, to reject Secret Service," he said during one of his many conversations with reporters on his Straight Talk Express this weekend. "Why do I need it?"

This from McCain. Why does he need it? Gee John, because there are a lot of armed lunatics out there. This is just silly.

I'm sorry, are the R's running on anything but macho madness? Trying to out testerone each other? Even their wives are macho. Huckabee's boasts [at a tea party, which makes it even funnier] about her prowess with a grenada launch and submachine gun. Now Chuck Norris has a spot out endorsing Huck. And Rudy, the drag queen/opera buff is after the Nascar crowd.

Even the New York Post, a wildly rightwing rag, is sick of Rudy's constant 9/11, 9/11, 911...

"After the worst attacks on US soil, Rudy Giuliani went to work rebuilding New York City and faith in America," reads the mailing, which features a photo of the former mayor set over the city skyline.

A group of 9/11 families and firefighters were outraged.
"Giuliani is running on 9/11. It's disgusting. It's horrible," FDNY Deputy Fire Chief Jim Riches said.

"This guy will do anything to get elected."

"He's misleading voters and distorting the truth. He didn't prepare the first responders for a terrorist attack. The Office of Emergency Management was a joke that day. There was a lack of communication. People died unnecessarily."

And I find it a tad hyperbolic to claim that Rudy singlehandedly 'restored faith in America.' This guy has an ego of epic proportion.

Maybe they should move Congress to Iowa for the next 45 days or so. Good lord, is any work getting done in DC? I do have to say that I just LOVE the Thanksgiving "let's help out at a food bank" activities. Seeing politicians actually doing some real work is refreshing, even if it is only for a few hours once a year and really just a photo op. I wonder if the staffs are trying to locate the best places to shop for Christmas gifts in Iowa? And Chris, as a member of the WASHINGTON post, I hope it is that you are just picking the Cowboys to win...not rooting for them.

"...a few far-fatched football picks." Not sure if it is as 'fatching' as favoring TA&M over UT but I'm picking UConn over WV. Pat White is amazing, though.

It's a critical week for poll numbers in SC. Will the Mittster complete the trifecta of IA, NH and SC? Will Thompson continue his disappointing slide to irrelevance?