FELLOW AMERICANS—WHAT'S ON YOUR MINDS, THANKSGIVING OR TURKEY?
Are you looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving Day or Turkey Day this month? It makes a difference. What you call it indicates what your concept is or will become as to the significance of this day. How we talk about things will either reveal how we think about, or will begin to think about, those things.
The words, “think” and “thank” come from the same root word. There’s a tremendous connection between thankfulness and thoughtfulness, and between what people think and what they say. How people talk also reveals a lot about the conditions of their hearts. After all, the Bible says, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34). When people have a problem being thankful, it may be because they have a problem thinking. Their minds are messed up to one degree or another. The 19th century British preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, “We are in a wrong state of mind if we are not in a thankful state of mind.” He was right.
Russell Conwell correctly said, “A man has no right to use words carelessly.” Millions of Americans now think of the national holiday that occurs on the fourth Thursday of every year, not as Thanksgiving Day, but as “Turkey Day.” This isn’t a good thing. It’s a bad thing. It constitutes a cheapening of everything that should be associated with this national day of celebration. It isn’t just inappropriate; it’s insidious. Every time you hear Thanksgiving Day referred to as Turkey Day, understand that this is another consequence of the dumbing down of America and another subtle contribution to the demise of this once great nation. “Words,” said G. k. Chesterton, are the dress of our thoughts, which should no more be presented in rags, tatters, and dirt than your person should.”
Words have meaning, and there’s a big difference between words that provoke thoughts about thanksgiving and words that provoke thoughts about turkey. Mark Twain said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightening and the lightening bug.” The right word to express what is meant to be associated with our national heritage is “thanksgiving," not the word "turkey." The use of the word “turkey,” in terms of this association isn’t even an “almost" right word. There’s as much difference between the two words in this context as there is between the words “yes” and “no,” “good” and “bad” and the words “smart” and “stupid.”
John Stuart Mill said, If you want to know what you are thinking, put your thoughts into words." It would be a legitimate question to ask people who refer to Thanksgiiving Day as “Turkey Day,” “What are you thinking?” The honest answer would be: “Not much.” The substitution of the words “Turkey Day” for “Thanksgiving Day” are evidence of what David Kupelian writes about in his book entitled, The Snapping of the American Mind (A book every American should read). Spurgeon was right when he said, “We are in a wrong state of mind if we are not in a thankful state of mind.”
The substitution of the words “Turkey Day” for “Thanksgiving Day” hasn’t been accidental. Its just been another subtle way of removing legitimate thoughts of God from any connection with our national history and heritage. The mindless acceptance and encouragement of the substitution of “Turkey Day” for “Thanksgiving Day” is yet another example of the pathetic foolishness of people who are complicit in the degradation of their own heritage. It is foreboding what lies ahead for a nation that doesn’t understand the power of words.
Confusious wrote, “When words lose their meaning, people lose their liberty." Napoleon Bonaparte said, “With words we govern men,” and Rudyard Kipling contended that, “Words are the most powerful drugs used by mankind.” These men were right. The history of mankind validates that they knew what they were talking about. And the godless and unAmerican element in our country, operating in the highest places of influence behind and in government, education and media know what they are doing as they encourage Americans to think of Thanksgiving Day as “Turkey Day.” Don't be complicit with them.
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
—John 8:32