Dear Tennessee Star,
November is best known for three special dates: Thanksgiving, Veteran’s Day, and every other year, election day. This is one of those years in which we have all three and the interesting, little-understood, facet of this month is that all three of these days are connected.
Thanksgiving is the day originally designated to give thanks to God for His gracious provision for our nation. While today it is more likely an occasion for excessive eating and watching sports, it is still a good time to reflect on our tremendous blessings. Though the United States is not a perfect nation, we still have more opportunities and abundance than any other nation on earth. This is certainly something for which to give thanks, and in regard to showing appreciation, in the last 20 years, thanking our veterans for their service has become a custom for some.
The veterans of the Revolution won our right to enjoy the blessings of this land at great sacrifice. Then those of the Civil War ensured that all people would be able to enjoy these blessings, again at great cost. In every other war, our armed forces met the challenge of defending our nation to preserve what was bequeathed to us, which is essentially self-government.
In our republic, we practice self-governance at the polls on election day by electing those who will represent our values before the rest of the nation. This is a privilege many people throughout history have not enjoyed. When we vote responsibly, we honor those who sacrificed so that we might exercise this right. The worst thing we could do is fail to vote. For when one neglects this duty they are essentially taking for granted the blessings of our nation and treating what others died for as a matter of little consequence. There is no greater dishonor than to disparage such a great gift.
As we approach these three special days, we should do so with an attitude of gratefulness for the blessings we have inherited because of God’s provision and the members of the armed forces who, in some cases, gave up their lives to preserve these blessings. We should especially approach election day with a sense of duty for all that has been given to us and thus continue to preserve these blessings for our children.
Sincerely,
Chris O.
Springfield, TN
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