I'll be the first to pipe up and say I love holidays. No matter how trivial, it's nice to set a day aside for something. Thanksgiving is a day I champion. It's really not a bad idea, is it? Get together with friends, families, and hell, even a stranger or two and celebrate the fact you're alive and have a meal set before you, along with all the other positive things in your life.
But in the past few decades there has been a worrying trend; Holidays that promote positive social behaviours, thinking, and traditional values are being hijacked in favour of flat out degeneracy, and if they can't be hijacked they'll be spurned. Give me a moment to pontificate.
The biggest offender here you can probably guess. The red-and-white striped menace that is Christmas; A social and economic juggernaut. From October 31st to January 5th, you just can't escape Santa's fat ass. And among my small inner-circle, I can't think of any other time of the year that causes as much stress and dread than "the season to be merry." It really is a time of the year I wish I could be like the bears, and just go take a long nap in a cave. It's not because I don't love my family, the traditional values of Christmas, the get-togethers, and all that. It's what it's been turned into.
Before I go further, I imagine you're probably scratching your head at the word 'degeneracy' and wondering quite what I mean.
Wiktionary defines the word 'degeneracy' as;
1. The state of being degenerate (in all senses.)
In turn, the definition of 'degenerate' in the way I am using it is defined as;
1. (of qualities) Having deteriorated, degraded or fallen from normal, coherent, balanced and desirable to undesirable and typically abnormal.
2. (of a human or system) Having lost good or desirable qualities.
Okay. So what do I mean, again? Christmas is a traditional American holiday. It's been celebrated since before the United States came into being, and in the Old World before that. It has a long history. But it's always had the same sort of message; Peace on Earth, and good-will to man. And if you're a Christian, it's also a time of reverence to Jesus Christ's birth. Though, the holiday is mostly secular in origin, borrowing much from Solstice celebrations. But whether Jesus is in your bag or not, all can agree it is traditionally a holiday about loving, giving, and peace.
But what is it today? A consumerist frenzy. They took one of the good qualities of the holiday (giving to others) and blew it out of proportion. Whether intentional or not, the holiday has been corrupted to it's very core. It used to inspire warm feelings inside me. But now, it makes me feel cold and I don't want a thing to do with it. I say, burn down the malls.
Christmas is fundamentally a different holiday these days, in my opinion. It's really hard to find someone who celebrates it as a time of thanks, remembrance, and positive-intentions. It's fallen into the old Baby Boomer mantra of "Me, me, me.... oh and me, too." Just listen to the music you hear on the radio or in the malls. It's all soulless. My favourite Christmas record? Funky Christmas by James Brown. All the songs are about giving thanks for what you have (no matter how little it may be), God, Jesus Christ' birth, family, love, peace on Earth, good-will to your fellow man, and creating positive change in the world. The only song you could even misconstrue as being consumerist would be 'Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto' in which James Brown recounts how difficult Christmas can be in the ghetto, something he knew himself growing up.
So what does this have to do with Thanksgiving, a truly American holiday in origin and spirit? Well, first off, it's whole intent combats degeneracy. There are no more positive human qualities than humility and gratitude. They've tried to make it a holiday of gluttony, to mixed results. But gluttony can only be so socially degenerate.
So those bastards at Macy's decided that Thanksgiving should mark the beginning of the Christmas season, and it was all down-hill from there. And then came Black Friday. "BUY! BUY! BUY!" I really can't think of anything more degenerate. You know all about Black Friday, so I won't explicate further. But this is how they're attacking Thanksgiving.
Yes. There is a War on Thanksgiving. Somebody notify Fox News!
"Black Thursday." Stores opening in the evening on Thanksgiving night. A day meant for family and friends. A day that is depressing and lonely for many Americans across the country, because of what, and who, they don't have. And now, many of these poor folks who have paltry Thanksgiving dinners, sometimes out of a frozen dinner tray, have to put on their uniforms and go into work, just so pricks can get their 80" televisions at 5% off.
It literally makes me sick to my stomach. Leave Thanksgiving alone. Give people a day off. It's hard to give thanks when you have to deal with thousands of degenerates looking to get one over on the system while the system is kicking back counting up all the dollars.
I tell you folks, do something to make a positive change in someone's life. It can be something very little, and it can make a big impact on their lives. More than you can probably imagine. Trust me. To someone who has little or nothing, a small act of kindness means so much. I'm sure you will have a meal well into excess this Thursday. Won't you open your doors to someone who might not have that on their own? Or perhaps help someone in some other way in this season. It will mean so much more to you than getting that iPad at $40 off. If I could ask one thing from anyone reading this right now, it's to make that positive change in this world. If you won't do it, who will?
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