I think you shouldent celebrate thanksgiving because you are celebrating the killings of the native americans?

Question

Why do you think you should celebrate thanksgiving

its for a perrsasive essay on why thanksgiving shouldent be celebrated i need pros and cons

Answer 1

Not just killing of Native Americans--enslavement of Native Americans, shipping them to Europe, and the consequent boom in the African slave trade (because prior to the rape of the New World, Africa's main export to Europe was gold and silver--and the colinization of America led to decreasing trade with Africa for these commodities, which led to the African slave trade.)

Check out this book called Lies My Teacher Told Me--great little digest of historical information.

That said--I personally don't celebrate Thanksgiving because I try to be gracious and thankful in general, and attaching those sentiments to THAT particular day seems asinine. Moreover, the "holiday" has become mostly about gluttony anyway, and in a world where people are starving, gorging myself on turkey and craberry sauce kinda loses its appeal.

Answer 2

You need to check your history. Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims WITH the native Americans. It was a feast (and still is) to celebrate harvest, friendship, family, and God's blessings. The sad and wasteful killing didn't start until many years later because of the the "white man's" greed. By the way Thanksgiving as we know didn't become a national holiday in America until the early 1900's

Answer 3

Wow! I can't believe how few people know the true story of Thanksgivng! It had NOTHING to do with celebrating the killing of Native Americans! Thanksgiving was the first feast after the first harvest where the Pilgrims and the Native Americans (then called Indians) each brought food to share together in P-E-A-C-E! The 2 peoples came together in friendship and shared stories and ideas.

It is a great American tradition.

Answer 4

Thanksgiving was the native americans and the pilgrims sharing a dinner together. The native americans were not the main course. This has turned into a holiday where we celebrate giving thanks for what we have much as these early settlers gave thanks for the food that they harvested from this land that they shared. I always love this because it is a gathering of friends and family over a good meal and conversation. We remind each other of all the good things that have taken place over the past year and pray for those who are less fortunate. Plus, it's one of the few holidays that dont require buying gifts!

Answer 5

As a person with a Cherokee grandmother I wouldn't celebrate a holiday if it were celebrating the massacre of native americans. I celebrate Thanksgiving as a day to give thanks for everything and everyone that I have been blessed with. We gather together to celebrate love and togetherness. We bring food to share in our blessings and to be thankful that we have been so well provided for. On the first Thanksgiving the Puritans *pilgrims* gave thanks for the fellowship, friendship, and generosity of the native americans. They knew at that point that if not for that particular tribe of people that they would not have survived the hardships that they were facing. It wasn't until much later that the massacre and disease started taking over the land. When you look to Thanksgiving don't look at what eventually happened. That isn't what is being celebrated. Look to what the Puritans were actually celebrating that day. Thankfullness for their survival and wellness.

Answer 6

Just curious, does your cousin live in South Dakota? Any where near Rapid City? RC is one of the most racist against N/A towns I've ever been through. I'm with the other poster who said the parents should be going down reaming the principal. There is no way this is a "suspendable" offense. Although if the parents are N/A in a racist area odds are they won't have much luck. Give your cousin a high five from everyone who believes that history should be re-examined from other perspectives.

Answer 7

The first Thanksgiving was in celebration of surviving in a new and difficult land, and of the friendship of the Native Americans who were such a big help to the Pilgrims. Nobody can dny that relationships turned sour later and that the treatment of Native Americans was terrible, but what could be a better beginning of a more positive relationship than to give thanks for the friendship and cooperation with which the relationship began.

Answer 8

Cons-
1.) The pilgrims won, history is written by the winners.
2.)This day was one of the few times they all got along.
3.)I've never thanked god for dead indians in my thanksgiving table prayer.
4.)The teacher that assigned you this is probably a pedophile.
5.)I'm part indian (northern Blackfoot) and I say it's ok.
6.)What are you possibly going to do that day where you won't be smack dab in the middle of thanksgiving.
7.)Thanksgiving has nothing to do with the pilgrims anymore, it's about overeating, visiting family, and football.

Pros-
1.) If nobody celebrated Thanksgiving we'd have less days off from work. (it's good for corporations)
2.)The malls wouldn't be as crazy on Black Friday.
3.) Pointless parades in New York would end making the commute to work faster in Manhattan.
4.)Everything would suck, see where this is going....

Answer 9

I disagree. Look at Easter-that is "celebrating" the aftermath of Jesus' death. Oh, can't speak of religion? Ok, what about Independence Day? How many died before we received that. Note too Native Americans were helping the New Americans to defend the land. Thanksgiving is celebrating a newcoming and joining. Remember it was the Indiams who taught the New Englanders how to "survive of the land".

Answer 10

1st-it is the holiday for gratitude in between the "give me candy "and "I want " Holidays.
2nd-you need to do some more research. The Pilgrims respected the Native Americans .It wasn't until the greed of land that the Native Americans are killed. If their tribes wouldn't have been so pride-full and if they would banded together their history would have been different.
3rd look at it for what it is. A time buld memories of family and to be grateful for our blessings