Giving Thanks!

In the autumn of 1863, Abraham Lincoln was keenly aware of what war could do to a nation. He had traveled to Gettysburg, PA, and had seen the battlefield that -- which just a few months before -- had been the site of three days of fighting which had claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Americans.

Perhaps because of the horrors of those times, Lincoln pronounced that the U.S. would formally give thanks to God.

Even though, we are “in the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity ... ,” Lincoln wrote, “it has seemed to me fit and proper that they (the blessings of the nation) should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

In the midst of the difficulties and struggles of these present days, perhaps it is time not just to celebrate Lincoln’s proclamation, but to recall the rest of his statement as well ...

“And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to God for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand 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.”

Happy Thanksgiving.

Taking Africa Seriously

Many adults can easily recall the rash of airline hijackings that occurred in the United States a few decades ago. More than 40 hijackings occured in the U.S. in 1969! While the methods of hijacking varied -- the end result was usually the same: each of them wanted to be flown to Cuba.

To stop the hijackings, airport security measures were beefed-up and for the first time we saw metal detectors installed. In addition, in 1970 Cuban law made hijacking a crime, and a joint agreement was made between the US and Cuba to return or prosecute hijackers. The hijackings stopped.

But the crisis brought to the forefront issues which needed to be addressed . . . and the same thing is happening in East Africa right now.

Within the last few weeks, ships carrying a variety of cargo have been hijacked by “pirates” operating in waters off the coast of East Africa. Some ships have carried military equipment, while others carried chemicals and oil. Eleven vessels are currently being held by pirates hoping to secure ransoms for their release, according to The Associated Press. A multinational naval force including vessels from the U.S., the UK and Russia has been patrolling the Indian Ocean waters seas near the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

In the past, it has been the policy of many world leaders to ignore African nations that seem to flaunt international law. But can this continue? Can the international community continue to ignore Somalia -- a piracy hotspot and a country which has had no functioning government since 1991? And if world leaders decide to act . . . what will this mean for the many who suffer at the hands of a few?

“Like us”

The other day a friend of mine asked, “Why are things so bad in Africa ... won’t they ever be like us?” And as the conversation continued, some thoughts emerged . . . .

Most African nations, one might consider, have had their independance and “majority-rule” for less than 100 years. If we in the U.S. want to compare these countries to our own, then one might recall that during the first century of American independance:

- many U.S. cities were constantly torn apart by anti-government riots. Things got so bad that Congress passed the Sedition Act which forbade any public criticism of the government (punishable by 2 - 5 years in prison)

- for nearly 90 years, slavery was legal in many states

- the U.S. continued to fight wars with England, France, Mexico and nearly every Native American tribe

- U.S. soldiers forcibly removed 45,000 Native Americans from their land and forced them to march from Georgia to Oklahoma. More than 4,000 Native American men, women and children died as a result of the “trail of tears”

- the nation lost nearly 700,000 of its citizens in a civil war that lasted four years.

Many African nations are struggling to establish themselves . . . but let’s hope that they quickly get past the part of being “like us.”

Crisis in the Congo!

Thousands of people who fled fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are crossing back into rebel-held territory because they say conditions at refugee camps are intolerable. Many of the refugees report that the camps are without food, water or sanitation facilities. Even though rebel groups are threatening the refugees with death, many people have decided that it is worth the risk to return to their homes. Last week, officials reported numerous instances of rebels killing and raping innocent civilians. In addition, many villages have been looted and emptied by the rebels.

Roads were filled with people returning to rebel-held territory, carrying their belongings on their heads or on their backs. Others, however, fearing renewed violence, left their homes -- overwhelming aid centers. Aid groups are expected to travel into the Congo's rebel-held territory in the coming days to help tens of thousands of people displaced by armed rebels.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the international community cannot allow Congo to become "another Rwanda," where 800,000 died during a 1994 genocide.

Officials stated that humanitarian needs for food, shelter, water and health care must be met through universal provision and secure routes for delivery. Let us not stand silent in the midst of this crisis.