Dealing with Thanksgiving Messages

Every Thanksgiving week, I get a handful of beautifully crafted messages about gratitude for all we have, including a gentle suggestion to help those less fortunate. Thankfully, at least one is usually from a vegan who is able to connect the dots that giving thanks isn’t about sitting across from a carcass.

Ah, but the rest of them . . . .

This year, two were particularly fascinating: One from someone a professor friend who wants us all to "buy a turkey for the poor" as a show of compassion. I guess the compassion’s supposed to be for the poor.

The other was from a gentleman who is great at making connections, which is ironic. (Oh, and he’s bad at remembering things, as I have told him I don’t eat animals, but I digress.) He sent a magnificent letter about thanks, yes, but mostly about giving, and suggested ways to give this holiday season. And I think that’s great.

• He wants us to thank the caregivers of our children and our frail elders.
• He wants us to respect our elected officials for their service. He says, "Silence is the antithesis of effectiveness in a democracy." I like that.
• He suggests volunteering, as  "our time is a priceless gift which appreciates in value."
• Conserving energy and consuming less fuel would be nice too.
• "Preserving our environment is self-preservation, as well as a life-saving gift to wildlife, plantlife, and our children’s children," he says.
• My favorite one is: "Advocate with assertion, not aggression. Free speech is not an invitation to be offensive. Responsible advocacy requires thoughtful purpose, practical solutions, and open conversation. Clear and consistent communication with allies and adversaries alike sets the stage for progress. Advocacy is the heart-felt expression of a wrong to be righted, with composure and grace. An advocate’s power is in persuasive and persistent articulation, and the recruitment of others to the cause."
• Then there’s "Health is a form of wealth."
• Finally, "Take optimism pills every morning….the time-release kind. Negativity is contagious. Those who believe they will make a difference can achieve their goals. Pessimism is the mind’s way of giving up before the first step is taken. Those who want to make change for the better in their lives, neighborhood, and the world around them, should stop whining and start winning. The power of one, multiplied and magnified, is the only correct formula for success."

This man, who is able to reach out and send a message of compassion and gratitude and service, is missing something that becomes really obvious at the end of the letter.

As we begin to plan for the holiday season, we have the obligation to realize that there are neighbors, young and elder, whose coming weeks are not brimming with joy. For whatever reason, in whatever circumstance, we well know that there are people in need who can be helped if we choose to do so.

There are people in need who can be helped if we choose to do so. True, true. And he concludes:

In honor and remembrance a family member who was there for you when you needed them most, please thank those who illuminate our paths, exemplify kindness, teach justice, and nurture our futures.  What a fitting tribute to the legacy of our ancestors.

Teach justice and nurture our futures. Then, there’s a link to a quiz about Thanksgiving and turkeys that manages to ask: Which state "produces" the most turkeys annually, but never asks just how many turkeys are bred and slaughtered for one day. 45-50 million, and many of whom are dismembered while fully conscious, just so you know.

I will respond, in the most diplomatic way possible, to this fine man who does so much for our community, but who is missing an integral part of the compassion picture. And an integral part of the justice picture. And I’ll probably link to Melvin’s story.

Preserve the environment, conserve energy and use less fuel, improve your health, teach justice and nurture our futures. Just say no to the unnecessary breeding, torture and slaughter of turkeys and other nonhuman animals.