It is amusing that the trope of the Pilgrims travelled to America to escape (religious) persecution.
In fact they left England and went to the Netherlands because they were not allowed to persecute those who did not believe as they did. They then left the Netherlands because they feared their children were becoming too liberal in their views and behaviour.
The original thanksgiving was, in fact, a celebration of an escape from a world the Pilgrims considered too liberal.
Current events appear to demonstrate that the current US political scene is a reversion to the original Pilgrim attitudes.
@Arthur Melzer
Thank you for this balanced essay.
Thank you for a thought-provoking piece.
Let us all strive today to make life less nasty, poor, brutish, and short for the less fortunate among us.
It is amusing that the trope of the Pilgrims travelled to America to escape (religious) persecution.
In fact they left England and went to the Netherlands because they were not allowed to persecute those who did not believe as they did. They then left the Netherlands because they feared their children were becoming too liberal in their views and behaviour.
The original thanksgiving was, in fact, a celebration of an escape from a world the Pilgrims considered too liberal.
Current events appear to demonstrate that the current US political scene is a reversion to the original Pilgrim attitudes.
Thank you for an essay to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving!