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Guest column: ‘A Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer’

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John Ragan

John D. Ragan

In October of 1789, George Washington issued a proclamation “recommending” to the people of the United States a day of “Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer.” He urged Americans to remember “with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.” He published this proclamation, less than a month after the Constitution was signed, at the request of Congress.

Seventy-four years later, in the midst of a bloody and bitter civil war, a different president issued another Thanksgiving Day proclamation. In his proclamation, Lincoln called for “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” He urged Americans to acknowledge “the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

School children of my generation were assigned to read and study such Thanksgiving proclamations from our presidents. But today, it seems school children are seldom required to become familiar with such historic proclamations. Why is this? Are our schools, and popular culture in our nation, conspiring to obscure the meaning of Thanksgiving? [Read more…]

Guest column: Burying mistakes

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John Ragan

John Ragan

Our founders boldly asserted in the Declaration of Independence that our nation should exist because the “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” entitle it to exist. They further held the God who authored these natural laws endowed everyone with certain, self-evident rights.

By these concepts, every individual has the same God-given equality before the law. There can be none with special, legal “privileges” such as royalty or aristocracy. Likewise, there can be no serfs inherently lacking certain rights.

An even more radical concept in that document is that government exists to protect these God-given rights. Furthermore, our nation’s founding document maintains that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, thus are accountable to them.

In other words, our founders insisted that government must answer to its citizens, not the other way around. However, events recently in the popular press have called this concept into question. [Read more…]

Museum celebrates Independence Day with old-time ‘anvil shoot’

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Anvil Lighting

By Museum of Appalachia

NORRIS—Visitors to the Museum of Appalachia, a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum, can celebrate July 4 with the explosion of sound that pioneers heard thunder through the hills when they celebrated Independence Day.

In those days, local blacksmiths would “shoot the anvil” to celebrate the nation’s Independence, Christmas, and even Davy Crockett’s election to the U.S. Congress.

Now, shooting the 175-pound anvil, an almost lost tradition, has come to be a highlight of the Museum’s annual July 4 Celebration. Folks as far as 15 miles away have reported hearing the blast, and certainly everyone gathered for the excitement feels the earth shake under their feet.

Along with a big boom several times during the day, there will be patriotic ceremonies, a flag waving procession led by bagpiper Jesse McCrary, Longhunter camp stories, Appalachian music, and an array of historic demonstrations. [Read more…]

Guest column: Home of the brave

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John Ragan

John Ragan

Two hundred and thirty-seven years ago, one of the most influential documents in the history of politics made its official appearance: The Declaration of Independence. Men, who felt the weight of history resting squarely on them, courageously shouldered the burden and fearlessly signed that piece of paper. They did so knowing the penalty for failure was death and hardship for their families.

Fortunately, from that day to this, brave citizens have continued to willingly risk life and limb in service to fellow Americans. Sadly, however, as it was in July of 1776, so, too, it is now. The cost of liberty remains high.

Today, as then, gallant American service personnel continue to lay their lives on the altar of freedom. Others sacrifice precious capabilities that the average citizen takes for granted. These men and women suffer unbelievably painful wounds, lose limbs, even endure paralysis and experience scarring inside and out. The agony of rehabilitation for these injuries cannot be exaggerated. [Read more…]

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