This information is provided by the office of 28th District State Sen. Joey Hensley, MD, R-Hohenwald, who represents, Giles, Lewis, Marshall, and Maury counties and part of Williamson County.
Thanksgiving is the unofficial beginning of the Holiday season, and it has different meanings. For most it is being with family and friends, having too much delicious food, and watching football.
Let’s not forget the huge sale papers advertising bargains for early shoppers on “Black Friday”.
Most everyone knows the story of the “first” Thanksgiving with the pilgrims and the Indians, but how many know about the Proclamation issued by George Washington in 1789 calling for a national day of thanks-giving?
It is a historical document that would be considered so “politically incorrect” by misguided judges of today that it cannot even be studied by our children in school. Imagine, a proclamation by the first President of the United State that our children cannot study.
Here is the text of that Proclamation: “Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
"Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
"And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties property and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly an faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect an guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.”
"Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3rd day of October, A.D. 1789."
G. Washington
(His actual signature)
"I encourage everyone to start a new Thanksgiving tradition by having someone in your family, perhaps one of the children, read this proclamation before dinner is served to remind us to whom our Forefathers were thankful and that we should be, too, " according to Hensley.
"I wish everyone a safe and blessed Thanksgiving Holiday."
Sen. Hensley may be contacted at 425 5th Avenue North, Suite 746, Nashville, TN ., 37243, or at 615-741-3100, or toll free at 1-800-449-8366, ext. 1310, or fax 615-253-0231.
His district address is 855 Summertown Highway, Hohenwald, TN., 38462, or telephone 931-796-2018, or call his cell phone at 931-212-8823, or e-mail sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov