Hi all,

This hasn't anything to do with magic, specifically, but it's a column I wrote for this week's newspaper (officially, I'm retired from journalism but I still write a weekly column) and I thought there might be a few here who were interested.

cheers,

Peter Marucci

showtimecol@aol.com



Around Our Place

By Peter Marucci



Thanksgiving Day in the United States will be a much different one this year than in the past.



September 11 - the Second Day of Infamy - changed all that.



And yet the Americans will celebrate this week.



Celebrate what?



Well, for starters, their freedom. It was that very freedom that, among other positive things, allowed those misled cowards to enter the country and slaughter the innocents at the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.



Sure, it would be easy enough for the United States to close its borders and seal itself off from the wackos who tyrannize much of the rest of the globe, a sort of Fortress America in a world gone mad.



But it's not that kind of country.



Sure, it would be easy enough for the United States to overreact to the events of Sept. 11 and bomb Afghanistan back into the Stone Age (except the impoverished and enslaved Afghans are pretty well there right now).



But it's not that kind of country.



Sure, it would be easy enough for the United States to turn inward and blame millions of Muslims who live in the U.S. for the events of Sept. 11. But these law-abiding, tax-paying citizens who follow the Islamic faith are not to blame for the fact that a gang of lunatics hijacked one of the great religions of the world for their own sick ends.



Besides, it's not that kind of country.



Sure, it would be easy enough for Americans to say, "what's the use?" and give up. But this is a country that invents itself every day; that can put a man on the moon and, at the same time, get a child out of the ghetto; that can tolerate criticism while fighting for its life.



Besides, it's not that kind of country.



We, sitting safe and secure here in Canada (and very much under the protection of the American umbrella), can mock, criticize, and protest the policies of the United States. And the United States just takes it, knowing that freedom of expression is more important than fighting back.



Besides, it's not that kind of country.



And so, the Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving Day this week, even though many of them think they may not have much to be thankful about.



But they do.



And so do we, thanks - in a great part - to them.



Because it's that kind of country.



30 --

Peter! Really puts thing into perspective!





We are so lucky to be living in the U.S.



So much to be thankful for!



Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks Peter,



I guess writing for a monthly magic magazine is considered no journalism at all.



Everyone enjoy the riches of family and or friends this Thanksgiving weekend.



Tom



_________________

Tom Cutts

Publisher, AM/PM

About Magic...Performing Magic

Thanks Peter.



Happy Thanksgiving everyone!





Mya

Very well said Peter...I agree. Thanks for taking the time to share that with us, and thanks for letting the folks in Canada share in it as well.



After all, we may be Americans, but the people who live in you're great country are North Americans.

Very well said Peter !!!!

What a wonderful article Peter. Thanks so much for sharing the Canadian perspective. If I may be so bold I thought I would add a few amplifying remarks. I know my point is just a matter of semantics but I thought it was important to make the distinction.



Freedom is an emotion. It’s a feeling that we carry within ourselves. Being thankful for freedom is akin to being thankful for love without acknowledgement to your spouse. And, as love is a gift given to us by our spouse (or others close to us), so too freedom is a gift given to us by a National Guardsman who chose to stand his post in an airport rather than share the holiday with his family.



But still some would argue that our liberties are, indeed, more that just an emotion. If this is true, all the better.



For then Freedom has a face. You will see it, proud and stoic, watching over you.



For then Freedom has a name. You will see it displayed neatly pressed above the left breast pocket.



If you are traveling this Thanksgiving and you have the opportunity, be sure tell Freedom thank-you.



Happy Turkey!



:wavey: