A PROCLAMATION by the President of the United States of America:
November 16, 2001
Nearly half a century ago, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed
Thanksgiving as a time when Americans should celebrate "the
plentiful yield of our soil . . . the beauty of our land . . . the
preservation of those ideals of liberty and justice that form the basis
of our national life, and the hope of international peace." Now, in
the painful aftermath of the September 11 attacks and in the midst of
our resolute war on terrorism, President Eisenhower's hopeful words
point us to our collective obligation to defend the enduring principles
of freedom that form the foundation of our Republic.
During these extraordinary times, we find particular assurance from our
Thanksgiving tradition, which reminds us that we, as a people and
individually, always have reason to hope and trust in God, despite great
adversity. In 1621 in New England, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God, in
whom they placed their hope, even though a bitter winter had taken many
of their brethren. In the winter of 1777, General George Washington and
his army, having just suffered great misfortune, stopped near Valley
Forge, Pennsylvania, to give thanks to God. And there, in the throes of
great difficulty, they found the hope they needed to persevere. That
hope in freedom eventually inspired them to victory.
In 1789, President Washington, recollecting the countless blessings for
which our new Nation should give thanks, declared the first National Day
of Thanksgiving. And decades later, with the Nation embroiled in a
bloody civil war, President Abraham Lincoln revived what is now an
annual tradition of issuing a presidential proclamation of Thanksgiving.
President Lincoln asked God to "heal the wounds of the nation and
to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to
the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and Union."
As we recover from the terrible tragedies of September 11, Americans of
every belief and heritage give thanks to God for the many blessings we
enjoy as a free, faithful, and fair-minded land. Let us particularly
give thanks for the self-less sacrifices of those who responded in
service to others after the terrorist attacks, setting aside their own
safety as they reached out to help their neighbors. Let us also give
thanks for our leaders at every level who have planned and coordinated
the myriad of responses needed to address this unprecedented national
crisis. And let us give thanks for the millions of people of faith who
have opened their hearts to those in need with love and prayer, bringing
us a deeper unity and stronger resolve.
In thankfulness and humility, we acknowledge, especially now, our
dependence on One greater than ourselves. On this day of Thanksgiving,
let our thanksgiving be revealed in the compassionate support we render
to our fellow citizens who are grieving unimaginable loss; and let us
reach out with care to those in need of food, shelter, and words of
hope. May Almighty God, who is our refuge and our strength in this time
of trouble, watch over our homeland, protect us, and grant us patience,
resolve, and wisdom in all that is to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 22,
2001, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage Americans to
assemble in their homes, places of worship, or community centers to
reinforce ties of family and community, express our profound thanks for
the many blessings we enjoy, and reach out in true gratitude and
friendship to our friends around the world.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-sixth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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