Refuting the Seven Myths of the Radical Left About Thanksgiv

[Deleted12]

For close to a decade and a half, I have had the honor of leading more than a thousand people on Faith and Freedom Tours in Plymouth and the Boston area. Plymouth and the story of the Pilgrims which is honored through our national Thanksgiving Day celebration is one of the most precious stories of faith, fortitude, and the providential care of God for his Church in the history of Western Civilization. Not surprisingly, it is a historical record which is under great attack from revisionist historians and radical leftists groups. During my own tours of Plymouth, I have personally been heckled by representatives of radical Marxist Indian groups, have actually watched as markers which bring a false witness to the Pilgrim legacy have been placed on the most sacred historic locations of the Pilgrims at the urgency of these groups, and have spoken to members of the Plymouth community who have been physically assaulted by radical leftists when presenting the Pilgrim story. Some of these incidents have been documented in my article Plymouth Crock.

Behind this assault on the great Pilgrim legacy are a series of myths rooted in a historical revisionism which is not only at war with Christianity, but with a fair and reasonable account of the facts which inform our interpretation of the origins of the American nation in Plymouth. With the help of Elijah Brown, the following is presented to offer some perspective on the debate.

Thanksgiving Day should stand out in our hearts as one of the most sacred and significant days of celebration of the year. The importance of Thanksgiving Day does not merely stem from its patriotic value as the oldest national celebration in American history. The day should not be observed simply to maintain a historical tradition that was cherished long before it was officially declared a national holiday. Thanksgiving Day is momentous because it not only calls our remembrance to the awe-inspiring work of God’s providence among our forbearers, but also allows us to connect with them in a real way by demanding a perpetual reflection on the providence of God in our own lives. Whether joyfully or with more than a little misgiving, on Thanksgiving Day the nation acknowledges that we are the heirs of our Pilgrim Fathers. Thanksgiving provides a national identification that should connect with every American on a deep and intimate level. It is a day that points to the firm conviction that every good and perfect gift comes from above, and that we are the residual beneficiaries of God’s favor bestowed upon, and celebrated by our ancestors, during that first Thanksgiving feast. As we gather around our family tables in celebration of God’s providence and provision we are the fulfillment of the hope of those godly men and women; we are the enduring testimony to the fruition of their multi-generational vision of faithfulness.

At the same time, it is perhaps for this very reason that the hallowed importance of Thanksgiving Day is diminished in our modern culture. The necessary reflection on God’s providence invoked on this day is something that the unregenerate heart simply cannot grasp, much less celebrate. The essential theme of man’s utter dependence on God is something to which men shaped by the egotistical philosophy of the enlightenment cannot relate. The exclusive adoration and deep fidelity to Jesus Christ practiced among the Pilgrim Fathers is something that this secular generation finds intolerable. For this reason, each year the observance of Thanksgiving Day has gradually diminished into a day celebrated by an excess of parades, food, and football. Thanksgiving Day has been even further eroded by the radical left who, out of their hatred for God, has revised history to distort and pervert America’s Christian heritage. While the Christmas holiday has inherited its fictitious flying reindeer and Easter has inherited a fictitious egg laying rabbit, it seems that Thanksgiving has inherited a fictitious historical narrative, equal to those other absurdities, and accompanied by a barrage of unwarranted ridicule and speculative doubt.

http://www.visionforum.com/news/blogs/d ... 1/11/9747/

[ladypuglover]

You know, my ancestors were at that first Thanksgiving and I doubt they would like anything Dougie would have to say about them... or what they would say about our fab Dougie. :think:

[Deleted12]

"Plymouth Crock" is completely awesome too:

"Pilgrims not only introduced economic principles of free trade to the Indians, allowing them to prosper financially, but they helped the Indians redeem mineral-depleted land using the Old Testament laws of crop rotation."

http://www.visionforum.com/news/article ... 4_002.aspx

[keeperrox]

"Plymouth Crock" is completely awesome too:

"Pilgrims not only introduced economic principles of free trade to the Indians, allowing them to prosper financially, but they helped the Indians redeem mineral-depleted land using the Old Testament laws of crop rotation."

http://www.visionforum.com/news/article ... 4_002.aspx

*Blink, blink, blink*

If I didn't know better, I would think this was a satire site. Alas, Dougie is all too true.

[Angri-la]

AthenaC: I didn't realize, for a few sentences, that this was Vision Forum twaddle, and I thought "But AthenaC is pretty right on most of the time". My apologies for even imagining that you wrote this. When I read Dougie's writings, I admit it, I start hearing an imaginary banjo where a manly man's voice should be.

Thanksgiving wasn't a nice happy comin' together of heathen natives and Godly White Men for turkey and pie. The Natives did not receive engraved invitations, in fact, in Massachusetts, a wall had recently been built to keep them out. But the Natives knew the Godly Englishmen were starving, and shared their corn with them. Psst, Dougie, those Godly men loved their beer more than you love your interns!

Boston only removed the law that "indigenous peoples are not allowed in the city limits" in 2004.

Yes, celebrating the holocaust of a people is super Godly. The last Godly holiday left!

I will discontinue, because I am in my cups, and someone on the internet is always wrong, especially when it is VF related! I really hate the rearranging/revising of history to serve the selfish endgames of others.

[Deleted12]

AthenaC: I didn't realize, for a few sentences, that this was Vision Forum twaddle, and I thought "But AthenaC is pretty right on most of the time". My apologies for even imagining that you wrote this. When I read Dougie's writings, I admit it, I start hearing an imaginary banjo where a manly man's voice should be.

:lol:

I've lead more than a thousand people on Faith and Freedom Tours in Plymouth and the Boston area, but I don't write douchey blog posts about it. :D

[NurseNell]

Has anyone read Caleb's Crossing? Very interesting, it's about the first Indian who attended Harvard University.

[godlytomatosoup]

I want to know more about these Marxist Indian groups.

[penguinagogo]

perhaps Im being dumb here

for it is not my cultural holiday

but did enough Native Americans survive the various diseases, land use battles and the doctrine of manifest destiny to actually have enough people identifying as both Native American and Marxist, to get a group together to harangue our favourite historical revisionist

Statistically it seems unlikely....

[bea]

Oh, Lord.

And this just after my preschooler had a "Thanksgiving Feast" at her school and I had to spend an afternoon explaining what a Native American was, that the people that lived here prior to the Europeans arriving were NOT Indians (which - hello, school? There's two girls in my preschooler's class who are actually Indian, with parents from India), and that the Pilgrims did not DISCOVER AMERICA because there were people ALREADY HERE.

Marxists. SERIOUSLY, Dougie?

[Kate]

Several years ago, before I knew that Douggie history was a "special" thing, I purchased the audio from the Plymouth Faith and Freedom to listen to with my homeschooler (I know, nice move, huh?). In one of the files Dug and Little Bear were talking about a storm with the Mayflower that broke a mast--they were going to have to turn back but by God's grace there was a piece on board that happened to be strong enough, etc. to replace it and they went on.

Last night I was watching Charlie Brown' Mayflower cartoon on you tube and they showed the same thing--my first thought was, "Damn! It really did happen!"

Yes, that's right, Charlie Brown's Peanuts have more credibility than Dougie. Good job, Doug.

[fundiefan]

I sometimes think Dougie is a fanfic writer. Instead of pop culture, he uses history.

[Kate]

I had to spend an afternoon explaining what a Native American was, that the people that lived here prior to the Europeans arriving were NOT Indians (which - hello, school?

Not sure if you mean the term "Indian" or not making it clear that it's not people from India, but American Indian isn't any less correct to use than Native American.

This isn't where I first heard that, but I think it does a good job of explaining the issues:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aihmterms.html

(end of off topic interruption)

[debrand]

Oh, Lord.

And this just after my preschooler had a "Thanksgiving Feast" at her school and I had to spend an afternoon explaining what a Native American was, that the people that lived here prior to the Europeans arriving were NOT Indians (which - hello, school? There's two girls in my preschooler's class who are actually Indian, with parents from India), and that the Pilgrims did not DISCOVER AMERICA because there were people ALREADY HERE.

Marxists. SERIOUSLY, Dougie?

Wow. The Pilgrims were not even the first English settlers. Jamestown and the Lost Colony beat them in being the first. They weren't even the first European settlers. The Vikings and Spanish beat them there. It used to annoy me that the Native Americans were not considered the first settlers of the land.

Another myth, the Pilgrims did not come for religious freedom in the broad sense that we think of religious freedom. They came to practice their own religion but they weren't exactly friendly to other faiths.

[debrand]

Doug makes Thanksgiving sound like a holiday about Jesus or God instead of one about the first pilgrims

[Deleted12]

perhaps Im being dumb here

for it is not my cultural holiday

but did enough Native Americans survive the various diseases, land use battles and the doctrine of manifest destiny to actually have enough people identifying as both Native American and Marxist, to get a group together to harangue our favourite historical revisionist

Statistically it seems unlikely....

There are still quite a few Native Americans around. People identifying as Native American are about 1% of the total population, but in places like Alaska it's close to 15%. There are also a lot of people who are mostly white or black but who have a trace of Native American ancestry.

The whole Marxist thing is BS. Doug wouldn't know a Marxist if one marched up singing the "Internationale" and waving "Das Kapital." :roll:

However, the Native Americans should be Marxists. A lot of them are very poor and live out on reservations where there are no jobs and no economic opportunity. In California they're allowed to run casinos, which has brought a lot of wealth to some tribes, but it's also brought some new problems, such as people being un-enrolled from tribal membership so that the remaining tribal members can control the wealth and direction of the tribe. :(

[Angri-la]

I didn't want to start a new thread, because where better to give thanks for FJ, than on a "Thanksgiving is the Godliest Holiday "(TM-Dougie)?

Free Jingers, you will be on my list of thanks at dinner tonight--and my daughter's of course.

[marmalade]

I really enjoyed this bit from Tuesday's "Seven Things To Do With Your Family This Thanksgiving:"

f you only read from one book other than the Bible this Thanksgiving, make it Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford. And if you only have time for one chapter, make sure it is the fourth. It is in this chapter that we learn about the true reasons why these homeschooling Pilgrims debated over whether or not they should risk their lives to go to America, the ultimate reasons for their departure (including concern over bad peer influences with their children), and their tremendous confidence in God. Most importantly, it is here that you read of Bradford’s multi-generational vision of victory.

Way to throw in the jingoistic non-sequiturs in there, Dougie boy.

What influences where children, already isolated in their insular society, supposed to have had? And how else could anyone educate BOYS, even poorly, other than from their FATHERS, since women were typically illiterate until the KJV was published in wider circulation. How ironic that Dougie's heroes were running from said king and his bible.

[Kishiria]

The "bad peer influences" on their children was that the kids were fitting in nicely with Dutch society and starting to speak Dutch. And you know nothing good ever comes from enjoying life in Amsterdam. :naughty:

[Eclipse]

Why does Doug always make me barf in my mouth? Oh right, its Doug. Urgh!

On a side note, during my American law school I clerked for a Tribal Court judge and took several Indian Law courses taught by Native professors. The law courses always had "Indian" in the title. We were always told to refer to them as Indians in any official context, especially in any Court documents or applications to the government. We were given lists on names that were OK and ones that were not. Indian was always on the OK list. However, I was awkward at using the word at first because coming from Canada that word is not used anymore, and is considered a racial slur. It was strange being told I had to use it when I was helping with court decisions or writing exams.

Edit to fix grammar.

[hoipolloi]

Has anyone read Caleb's Crossing? Very interesting, it's about the first Indian who attended Harvard University.

Yes, I thought it was well done - a fascinating take on barely known historical events & people. Must confess to some bias here since I have loved what I've read of the author's previous work: Year of Wonders and March.

Re: Dougie. Never misses an opportunity to pontificate & sell his high-priced shite, does he?

[bea]

Not sure if you mean the term "Indian" or not making it clear that it's not people from India, but American Indian isn't any less correct to use than Native American.

I was trying to explain that the "Indians" they were talking about and the people-from-India she knows were different. It was a LITTLE FRUSTRATING.

This is something I'm going to mention to her teachers, because when you have kids who have parents from India in the class, the term Indian can be a bit confusing to preschoolers, and evidently led many of the kids to believe that the South Asian kids in class were Native American. *headdesk*

.....also ending OT diversion.....

[Aurora]

For close to a decade and a half, I have had the honor of leading more than a thousand people on Faith and Freedom Tours in Plymouth and the Boston area. Plymouth and the story of the Pilgrims which is honored through our national Thanksgiving Day celebration is one of the most precious stories of faith, fortitude, and the providential care of God for his Church in the history of Western Civilization. Not surprisingly, it is a historical record which is under great attack from revisionist historians and radical leftists groups. During my own tours of Plymouth, I have personally been heckled by representatives of radical Marxist Indian groups, have actually watched as markers which bring a false witness to the Pilgrim legacy have been placed on the most sacred historic locations of the Pilgrims at the urgency of these groups, and have spoken to members of the Plymouth community who have been physically assaulted by radical leftists when presenting the Pilgrim story. Some of these incidents have been documented in my article Plymouth Crock.

Behind this assault on the great Pilgrim legacy are a series of myths rooted in a historical revisionism which is not only at war with Christianity, but with a fair and reasonable account of the facts which inform our interpretation of the origins of the American nation in Plymouth. With the help of Elijah Brown, the following is presented to offer some perspective on the debate.

At the same time, it is perhaps for this very reason that the hallowed importance of Thanksgiving Day is diminished in our modern culture. The necessary reflection on God’s providence invoked on this day is something that the unregenerate heart simply cannot grasp, much less celebrate. The essential theme of man’s utter dependence on God is something to which men shaped by the egotistical philosophy of the enlightenment cannot relate. The exclusive adoration and deep fidelity to Jesus Christ practiced among the Pilgrim Fathers is something that this secular generation finds intolerable. For this reason, each year the observance of Thanksgiving Day has gradually diminished into a day celebrated by an excess of parades, food, and football. Thanksgiving Day has been even further eroded by the radical left who, out of their hatred for God, has revised history to distort and pervert America’s Christian heritage. While the Christmas holiday has inherited its fictitious flying reindeer and Easter has inherited a fictitious egg laying rabbit, it seems that Thanksgiving has inherited a fictitious historical narrative, equal to those other absurdities, and accompanied by a barrage of unwarranted ridicule and speculative doubt.

http://www.visionforum.com/news/blogs/d ... 1/11/9747/

Ahh, Dougie!! What would we do without you? This is one of his better blog posts, I think. Same general idea, society is going to hell in a handbasket, but more hyperbole than usual. I laughed out loud at some parts. Thank you, Athena!

1. and 3. Doug accuses others of revising history. Awesome. :roll:

2. Yay hecklers!

4. Dougie actually knows the word "Enlightenment"! that he seemed to be awkwardly grasping at in earlier posts (does he read here?) Although of course, he does not really grasp what it means.

5. Egg laying rabbit?!? :lol:

6. :?:

[Wolfie]

Not sure if you mean the term "Indian" or not making it clear that it's not people from India, but American Indian isn't any less correct to use than Native American.

This isn't where I first heard that, but I think it does a good job of explaining the issues:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aihmterms.html

(end of off topic interruption)

Yeah, not incorrect, but seriously confusing to kids when they have Indian American classmates. (many of my students are either from India, or their parents are. I try to stick with Native American just to make it easier for my classes to understand.)

[Witsec7]

Dougie was charging 40 a head for the Jamestown tour and $140something for a family. I wonder how much he made from the Plymouth Tours?