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In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims – early immigrants or transplanted settlers of Plymouth Colony – held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Many regard this event as the nation’s first Thanksgiving, including AutoInformed. Thanksgiving is rooted in the traditions of early 17th century pilgrims. These were celebrations of survival because of bountiful, and more importantly shared harvests. This was the beginning of “We the People,” which in the course of human events resulted in the wealthiest nation on earth.
President George Washington presiding from New York City, a freedom fighter that the British regarded as a terrorist – first designated the celebration of Thanksgiving by our national government a century later in 1789. Previously the Continental Congress of our nascent republic proclaimed several such days at varying times during the war of rebellion against England.
General Washington in December of 1777 celebrated a day of “Thanksgiving” after the defeat of the British at Saratoga during our War of Independence. This war or insurgency was conducted when we were still a loose confederation of colonies who rebelled, in part, because we were resisting the taxation needed to pay for the ongoing folly of foreign wars and entanglements of our then, arguably legal though inarguable corrupt, government – the British Parliament of Lord North and King George the Third located across the Atlantic Ocean.
Hauntingly this reverberates today. We the People – or actually our “elected representatives” from gerrymandered districts crafted by craven, self-interested politicians who know only “I” – that are promulgating war against Venezuela and endless foreign entanglements with Russian alliances and oppression against many of We through the armed occupation of our streets. Now they are threatening and in some cases exporting new victims of oppression that came here “yearning to breathe free.”
Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863 during another bloody war, this one fought initially to keep our new nation united, but a war that ultimately evolved to end the dreadful practice of slavery – America’s original sin that came from a dreadful compromise at our beginnings of freedom against Royal and privileged rule. Unfortunately, it did not end racism, as is all too evident in current headlines and the hateful words of President Trump who would be King, an enabler of the ultra-right support of Nazi genocide.
Slavery also resulted in the Electoral College. It was a compromise to Southern interests, who counted property as population – three fifths of a head for each slave – to keep true proportional representation in Congress behind economic and political interests. Our Courts are throwing out prosecutions of the people who attempted to falsify the Electoral college votes? A judge in Georgia has just terminated the last remaining election interference case against Trump. It’s likely the end of attempts to try him for his part in the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.
Back when President Lincoln was protecting our constitution he proclaimed that the last Thursday of November would be a National Day of Thanksgiving. Slavery – the issue that the writers of our Constitution, many of them slaveholders and virtually all of them wealthy – feared to address because of self-interest and politics, ignoring the ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident” proposition enshrined in a founding document. These were beliefs they professed in their own Declaration of Independence –all are created equal.” Sounds familiar, and depressing – given the tawdry cast of characters residing around the Potomac living on Taxpayer welfare that stills from the poor and giveth to the unimaginably rich.
This failure of foresight, failure of political courage, and failure of morals by the Founding Fathers to address the ethical and legal problems that would ensue, as well as the fearsome bloodshed it would take to partially resolve them, is cause for thanks. Thanks, that slavery would be over, eventually, as the Civil War dragged on. Now the Voting Rights Act is under attach to disenfranchise some of We.
Fighting still another war, this one economic but just as devastating to the overall American well-being, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to promote holiday shopping earlier to stimulate a stalled economy. Little did FDR know that Thanksgiving would become a new form of oppression for our economically underprivileged who are now forced to work on a holiday, many of them at starvation wages, since raising the minimum wage would cost our rich ruling class a pittance.
Nevertheless, today on Thanksgiving, let us – We the People – give thanks for our current tattered democracy, which despite the egregious Supreme Court Citizens United decision (from the spiritual successors of the judges who ruled in 1857 that Dred Scott was property) that ensures the rich, and only the very rich will dictate policy and have their laws passed. All this while King Trump and his minions avoid personal taxes while enriching themselves, The Trump bitcoin is biting our Constitutional rights. The Trump Department of Injustice has its roots in the Monarch directed Star Chaber court of England. In 1641 the Long Parliament abolished the court because of its arbitrary rulings and n abuses of power directed against political opponents.
Indeed, we citizens or taxpayers voters are once again attempting to make things right – but not enough of us, as the last election turnout showed ushering in King Trump again. Let us remember and respect the hard battles past and the citizen soldiers who fought them, while girding ourselves for the political, economic and ongoing military battles we now face.
Through it all, remember there can be more reasons to celebrate at Thanksgivings to come, particularly if we adhere to the “We the People” principle of our founding fathers. Call it American optimism or American liberalism or the Woke thought that expanding inclusiveness enriches us all. For these problem-solving, practical, awakened progressive American traits, we can always be thankful. We the people can be thankful that We Can Do Better.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Thanksgiving 2025 Meets a Thankless Administration
Click for more.
In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims – early immigrants or transplanted settlers of Plymouth Colony – held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Many regard this event as the nation’s first Thanksgiving, including AutoInformed. Thanksgiving is rooted in the traditions of early 17th century pilgrims. These were celebrations of survival because of bountiful, and more importantly shared harvests. This was the beginning of “We the People,” which in the course of human events resulted in the wealthiest nation on earth.
President George Washington presiding from New York City, a freedom fighter that the British regarded as a terrorist – first designated the celebration of Thanksgiving by our national government a century later in 1789. Previously the Continental Congress of our nascent republic proclaimed several such days at varying times during the war of rebellion against England.
General Washington in December of 1777 celebrated a day of “Thanksgiving” after the defeat of the British at Saratoga during our War of Independence. This war or insurgency was conducted when we were still a loose confederation of colonies who rebelled, in part, because we were resisting the taxation needed to pay for the ongoing folly of foreign wars and entanglements of our then, arguably legal though inarguable corrupt, government – the British Parliament of Lord North and King George the Third located across the Atlantic Ocean.
Hauntingly this reverberates today. We the People – or actually our “elected representatives” from gerrymandered districts crafted by craven, self-interested politicians who know only “I” – that are promulgating war against Venezuela and endless foreign entanglements with Russian alliances and oppression against many of We through the armed occupation of our streets. Now they are threatening and in some cases exporting new victims of oppression that came here “yearning to breathe free.”
Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863 during another bloody war, this one fought initially to keep our new nation united, but a war that ultimately evolved to end the dreadful practice of slavery – America’s original sin that came from a dreadful compromise at our beginnings of freedom against Royal and privileged rule. Unfortunately, it did not end racism, as is all too evident in current headlines and the hateful words of President Trump who would be King, an enabler of the ultra-right support of Nazi genocide.
Slavery also resulted in the Electoral College. It was a compromise to Southern interests, who counted property as population – three fifths of a head for each slave – to keep true proportional representation in Congress behind economic and political interests. Our Courts are throwing out prosecutions of the people who attempted to falsify the Electoral college votes? A judge in Georgia has just terminated the last remaining election interference case against Trump. It’s likely the end of attempts to try him for his part in the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.
Back when President Lincoln was protecting our constitution he proclaimed that the last Thursday of November would be a National Day of Thanksgiving. Slavery – the issue that the writers of our Constitution, many of them slaveholders and virtually all of them wealthy – feared to address because of self-interest and politics, ignoring the ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident” proposition enshrined in a founding document. These were beliefs they professed in their own Declaration of Independence –all are created equal.” Sounds familiar, and depressing – given the tawdry cast of characters residing around the Potomac living on Taxpayer welfare that stills from the poor and giveth to the unimaginably rich.
This failure of foresight, failure of political courage, and failure of morals by the Founding Fathers to address the ethical and legal problems that would ensue, as well as the fearsome bloodshed it would take to partially resolve them, is cause for thanks. Thanks, that slavery would be over, eventually, as the Civil War dragged on. Now the Voting Rights Act is under attach to disenfranchise some of We.
Fighting still another war, this one economic but just as devastating to the overall American well-being, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to promote holiday shopping earlier to stimulate a stalled economy. Little did FDR know that Thanksgiving would become a new form of oppression for our economically underprivileged who are now forced to work on a holiday, many of them at starvation wages, since raising the minimum wage would cost our rich ruling class a pittance.
Nevertheless, today on Thanksgiving, let us – We the People – give thanks for our current tattered democracy, which despite the egregious Supreme Court Citizens United decision (from the spiritual successors of the judges who ruled in 1857 that Dred Scott was property) that ensures the rich, and only the very rich will dictate policy and have their laws passed. All this while King Trump and his minions avoid personal taxes while enriching themselves, The Trump bitcoin is biting our Constitutional rights. The Trump Department of Injustice has its roots in the Monarch directed Star Chaber court of England. In 1641 the Long Parliament abolished the court because of its arbitrary rulings and n abuses of power directed against political opponents.
Indeed, we citizens or taxpayers voters are once again attempting to make things right – but not enough of us, as the last election turnout showed ushering in King Trump again. Let us remember and respect the hard battles past and the citizen soldiers who fought them, while girding ourselves for the political, economic and ongoing military battles we now face.
Through it all, remember there can be more reasons to celebrate at Thanksgivings to come, particularly if we adhere to the “We the People” principle of our founding fathers. Call it American optimism or American liberalism or the Woke thought that expanding inclusiveness enriches us all. For these problem-solving, practical, awakened progressive American traits, we can always be thankful. We the people can be thankful that We Can Do Better.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.