Bloody Day After Thanksgiving In Iraq

Even as we finish up Thanksgiving Day leftovers, and hit the stores for "Black Friday", there is sad news from Iraq.

Two bombs exploded hours apart Friday in a central Baghdad pet market and a police checkpoint in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, killing 26 people and wounding dozens, officials said.

The attacks were among the deadliest in recent weeks, underscoring warnings by senior U.S. commanders that extremists still pose a threat to Iraq's fragile security despite a downturn in violence since a U.S.-Iraqi security plan began in mid-February.

The worst part of this story I believe, is the acknowledgement that no matter what we do, there will still be some violence, and when we leave will it increase again. It seems the only reason it has gone down is because of the troops "everywhere" reality, which gives insurgents less time to plan and carry out attacks, as they are running for "their" lives. Now as we begin drawing down troops, will the violence go back up to pre-surge levels or higher.

I think all we are doing is forestalling the inevitable, and the other reality is that for all of the good armed successes we have had, the Iraqi government, (not local, as they seem to be doing well), is still not doing anything to speak of, except agreeing to an oil revenue sharing plan, and that is still not complete. So let's call it a win and come home, if we did and used all available boats and planes for evacuation, we could have everyone out in less than a month. This is a very difficult issue, because it would be nice if it could work out well for everyone, but it doesn't seem like it will, and that is sad for our troops and the Iraqi people. Our condolences to the Iraqi's and their families who lost loved ones.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving weekend.


bloody

Thanksgiving Day History

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow, and may you feast in your own way, enjoy family and friends, and just have a Great Day! I almost had the day off, but due to a snow storm in western Iowa, my Art Prints are being delayed, so I am going to meet the truck tomorrow, and will spend a few hours organizing everything for the start of the Christmas buying season, Friday at 6 A.M. Below is a little history, sanitized for today, of how Thanksgiving began and continues up to today, with a link to a cool timeline at the end. Thanks!!

Thanksgiving Day, national holiday in the United States commemorating the Pilgrims, in American history, the group of separatists and other individuals who were the founders of Plymouth Colony . The name Pilgrim Fathers is given to those members who made the first crossing on the Mayflower.The celebration of the harvest reaped by the Plymouth Colony in 1621, after a winter of great starvation and privation. The celebration was probably held in October. The neighboring Wampanoags, who outnumbered the colonists, joined them for three days and contributed food to the celebration. The first proclaimed day of thanksgiving in the colony was not held until 1623 (probably at the end of July), following an improvement in prospects for the still struggling colony, and was a day of prayer, not feasting.

After the American Revolution the first national Thanksgiving Day, proclaimed by President George Washington, was Nov. 26, 1789, and the Episcopal Church began celebrating an annual day of thanksgiving on the first Thursday in November. Some states established an annual Thanksgiving Day, but there was no annual national holiday until President Abraham Lincoln, urged by Sarah J. Hale Hale, Edward Everett, 1822–1909, American author and Unitarian clergyman, b. Boston, grad. Harvard, 1839. He was the nephew of Edward Everett. The pastor of a church in Worcester, Mass., proclaimed one in 1863, appointing as the date the last Thursday of November. Although the only known contemporary account of the 1621 Plymouth harvest celebration had been rediscovered in 1841, the national Thanksgiving Day initially was not officially linked to it.

In 1939, 1940, and 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Thanksgiving the next-to-last Thursday in November. Conflicts arose between Roosevelt's proclamation and about half of those of state governors, and in 1941 Congress passed a joint resolution decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November. The day is observed by church services and family reunions; the customary turkey dinner is a reminder of the wildfowl served at the Pilgrims' celebration. Canadians also celebrate a national Thanksgiving Day, on the second Monday in October; prior to 1957 it was on the last Monday of the month.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!!


timeline