Thanksgiving '08: Teachable Moments on the Menu

Happy Thanksgiving. Even in these economically hard times, there is much to be grateful for as we mark the end of America's Dark Ages and begin a new era. I'm particularly thankful for all the non-political teachable moments we are getting from the Obamas: It's not worth holding a grudge (see asking Hillary to be Secretary of State). There is no one better to help you raise your kids than grandma (see asking "First Granny" Marion Robinson to move into the White House to help Malia and Sasha adjust to life in DC). No matter what they throw at you, stay calm, centered, and collected (see "Muslim," "Socialist," "palling around with terrorists"). All great lessons to bring home with us this Thanksgiving holiday.

Read more Thanksgiving posts from HuffPost bloggers

Comments

[Aviv]

Congratulations Arianna! Enjoyed your talk with Charlie Rose!

To "mark the end of America's Dark Ages and begin a new era" we each need to step up. To be a bigger person. To grow. To make meaning. To evolve. Here is a little Thanksgiving message about meaning-making conversations: http://www.avivshahar.com/the-key-extraordinary-encounters-at-32000/

[tandrmcdonald]

I am thankful...
to be alive,
to have a spouse who has been at my side for forty-six years,
to have been blessed with a family,
to have a safe place to live,
to have sufficient food to eat,
to have good health and good doctors when it slips a bit,
to have done meaningful work in my life,
to have been born in America,
and for the freedom to speak my mind without fear,

[iamsmart]

i am thankful to be thankful

[provgrays]

Obama is a marvelous example for anyone.

Intelligent, calm, briliiant and a certain humilty is always present with him. He is filling a vital leadership vacuum as Bush kills time until his soft landing in Crawford. Do we need anymore proof that the transition period from one president to the next is dangerously long?

[sunny555]

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I agree, the Obamas have given us many teachable moments, and I think they are going to be wonderful role models. One thing that I particularly admired during the campaign is how Obama responded to negative attacks. He didn't ignore them, and he didn't overreact. He responded forcefully, sometimes with humor, but always with a high degree of dignity. Usually, his response made the attackers look foolish. For many of us going about our regular day, who are on the receiving end of parallel nonsense particular to our own life situations, Obama's example is powerful, and certainly an appropriate one to emulate. I know I personally learned a lot from him.

We have a lot to be thankful for.

[NWPoster]

You nailed it. I too have learned and I do admit, taking the high road is NOT easy.

[avraamjack]

Hurrah!

Hopefully the end of the Dark Ages includes the repudiation of the policy that allows gang stalkers to poison and irradiate people without fear of prosecution:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=%22gang%20stalking%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Hopefully.

[katherine2]

Scary stuff to read about. Granted, we gave little privacy these days. Governmental gang stalking sounds credible, but why direct this kind of concern and resources for the ordinary kinds of individuals it could entail?

[Hrotea]

A PENNEY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS ON
THANKSGIVING DAY NOV. 27, 2008

By Hermie Rotea

From Quotable Quotes:

It's better to give than to receive.

God grant me the
Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can; and
Wisdom to know the difference.

Happy Thanisgiving!

[im1dc]

Arianna says "we mark the end of America's Dark Ages and begin a new era."

I thought I was alone in feeling exactly like that. Maybe there is something to the ethereal Universal Zeitgeist after all since I see by the comments others feel that way too.

[cjgnew]

Thank you Arianna for your Thanksgiving wishes. I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in this forum and wish all the great folks who participate on this site, Republicans and Democrats, a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving. To the people of India and to those who lost lives or family members in the Mumbai tragedy, please accept our family's condolences. As to those who are so filled with hate to conduct such senseless attacks on innocent individuals, I understand you want to be heard and I empathize with your despair, but can't you see that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind?

[ApolloSpeaks]

The New FDR and the Dark Ages

Last week Arianna compared Barack Obama to FDR; now she says that his election marks the end of "America's Dark Ages." Now if Barack Obama is the "new FDR" why should this make us hopeful for the future? Didn't FDR preside over one of the bleakest and bloodiest periods in American and world history? Is Obama a sign that a new Great Depression is coming, and a third world war? If Obama's the "new FDR" then it could mean that the years ahead will be so economically devastating and horribly destructive as to make the "Dark Ages" of the Bush years look like an Age of Sweetness and Light.

[care4mypeeps]

2008 Was definitely a teachable year. I am Thankful and greatful that God has spared my life
to see all of the events that unfolded. The Lessons over this year has give me the strenght
to move foward againts extreemly difficult circumstances.

The opportunity to blog and make a difference in the Media and on the Political scene
has been tremendous

Arianna I am still looking for your show on MSNBC because you belong there.
You have carved out a place for yourself and the peices of the puzzle will fall into place.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE. Be blessed and for heaven sakes be Safe.

[PhilipTaylor]

Hope for a SMART NEW YEAR!

Fighting Terrorism is not like WWII or Iraq! It can only be solved by bringing the 99.99% peace loving people of the world together in a network that helps identify the .01% or less terrorists and brings them to justice. The time of BRUT FORCE AS A SOLUTION IS OVER! We need Cooperation and Creativity between all peace loving countries and religions!

Fighting Terrorism gave America 4,200+ dead soldiers, hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis, a $3 Trillion debt compared to the loss of 2,974 people and the World Trade Center which its owner declared was obsolete prior to the attack. Clearly invading countries has proven to not be the OPTIMAL problem-solving method of addressing terrorism!

The key is for Obama and India in cooperation with others to address Terrorism with Optimal Unification of the 99.99% GOOD in the WORLD to bring the .01% or less terrorists to justice!

Attacking a neighbor or another country will do nothing to solve terrorism!

But joint problem-solving and networking to identify terrorists can bring success! We need a new approach that uses the "MICROSCOPE" INSTEAD OF THE "HAMMER!"

[bobwalters]

Likelihood of inducing cooperative pursuit/identification of would-be "terrorists will, in part, hinge on our willingness to prosecute and hold to account the members of our own government who are responsible for violations of both US criminal laws and international laws. Until and unless we are willing to clean out our own nest of vipers, we hardly have standing to ask others to do so.

[rockne]

Are you related to Neville Chamberlain??

[happy1234]

HAPPY THIANKSGIVING TO ALL.

[Netizen]

Mr. Obama is very wise in some areas (family especially), and profoundly unwise in others. His language in the area of foreign policy is Bush/McCain Lite, and his choice of Clinton for Secretary of State reflects his ignorance. (I won't even touch the fumbling of the economy. And for the record, I am a registered Democrat and liberal libertarian.)

Foreign Policy ...
At his first press conference as P-E, he was asked about the congratulatory letter from Ahmadinejad. Instead of dismissing it with something like, "All good wishes gratefully received," he launched into perfunctory and silly tough talk about Iran not attaining nuclear weaponry. His comments in the Barbara Walters' interview about bringing Al-Qaeda "to heel" are not only Bush Lite and provocative, it's adolescent. His statement about Mumbai is classic, recycled Bush.

He was the best of the field from either party, but we needed better. Hooray for the family role modeling, yes, but America is going to come out of its intoxication with Mr. Obama and find that he simply is not who they hoped he would be, and that there was iin fact very little actual change. He knows well how to play populist .. but he is executing the policies of the same old power brokers, which is antithetical to true populism.

[livingontop]

a TRUE populist would never get elected...

[DemoMom]

Hey, give the guy a chance!! He's not even been inaugurated and the critics are circling like vultures. Politics, like it or not, is the art of compromise and Obama is doing what is necessary right now to deal with the multitude of problems we face as a country, and as a world. Cut him some slack, will you? Or maybe you think you could do better - good luck!

[LeftCoastLarry]

You raise some very valid questions worthy of discussion but I don't share with you your determination to write the book on Obama's presidency when it hasn't even started yet.
Let's see what happens at least for a few months before attempting to draw any conclusions.
I don't share your pessimism.

[Netizen]

His presidency has of course started, from the moment he was elected, and in juxtaposition to his rhetoric in the campaigns. His words, actions and cabinet choices now, are all a part of his historical presidency.

He has chosen the people who brought us the Wall Street debacle to fix it. He has chosen the militaristic and bellicose Clinton as chief diplomat. He has sent very negative signals in his use of language in foreign relations. Stating these facts is not pessimistic. It is realistic.

I hope the the public awakens quickly, to call him to account for the change he promised. So far it's more of the same in a prettier package.

[bobwalters]

Your critique is premature. As noted elsewhere, your points are worth keeping in mind as things progress, but hardly appropriate for a President-elect, who hasn't yet even been sworn in. I, for one, am greatly encouraged by what I've seen/heard so far. Let's see how it plays out in the months ahead.

[tandrmcdonald]

Is this predictive history or pseudo-liberal rant? It reads like a primer on rightwing rhetoric for newbies.
Most of us who read HuffPo see through the Republican subtext of your speil, including the Republican trolls who infest the blogosphere.
So, how is it possible you can have so much negative drivel to spew about a president who hasn't even been sworn in yet?
Predictions of a performance that hasn't occurred is as reliable as casting runes and reading entrails; as accurate as the Daily News horoscope and as intellectually honest as the Bush rationale for the Iraqi war.

[kellygrrrl]

thankful that by the time Easter comes no one will care about SisterSarah anymore ... I really don't need to see her boiling bunnies.

[boing007]

I really don't need to see her boiling bunnies.

Or shooting at them from a helicopter.