Philosophy Professor Steve Gimbel wrote a column discussing the un-American and almost obsolete nature of Thanksgiving celebrations in a culture that does not value the principles of the holiday. The column was published by USA Today on November 22.
From USA Today:
Thanksgiving is un-American. Thanksgiving is obsolete. Thanksgiving needs to be eliminated.
In our culture, we tell our children that it is o.k. to be pleased with what you have done, but never be satisfied. You need to keep your eye on the prize, do not rest content with what you have. To be content is to stop moving forward, to stop moving forward is to quit and winners never quit. Only losers are content and contentment with what you have is the basis of thankfulness.
Maybe in the Norman Rockwell mythological 19th century America we could be truly thankful, but in today's America, we need to keep on needing. To reflect on how much you appreciate what you have instead of considering what you lack and thereby still need is to undermine the entire basis of our economy.