10 Reasons to Give Thanks |
by Medea Benjamin, November 23, 2005 This Thanksgiving, we who yearn for peace and justice have many reasons to give thanks. For starters… We're thankful that Congressman John Murtha has joined us in calling for an end to the occupation of Iraq. We're thankful that the majority of Americans now agree with us that this war in Iraq was a mistake and the troops should come home as soon as possible. We're thankful that Lewis Libby has been indicted, that Karl Rove has become a liability for the Bush administration, and that Tom DeLay has fallen from grace. We're thankful that the George Bush's approval ratings are under 40% and falling, and that his agenda—from the privatization of social security to the repeal of the estate tax—is unraveling. We're thankful Judith Miller will no longer be reporting for the New York Times and that we now have a blossoming independent press—including weeklies, websites, blogs, community radio and cable TV—to keep us informed and connected. We're thankful that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who took on nurses, teachers and other working people of California, was roundly defeated on November 2. We're thankful that we FINALLY have a burgeoning campaign against the giant Walmart that is bringing together labor, community activists, women's groups and environmentalists. We're thankful that the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, a linchpin in the Bush administration's pro-corporate agenda, has been defeated and that our colleagues in Latin America are electing progressive leaders like Hugo Chavez. We're thankful that our movement for a green, clean, sustainable economy is gaining momentum and providing a real alternative to corporate-led globalization. And as I write this from hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, where hundreds of volunteers have poured in from throughout the country to spend Thanksgiving to help in the rebuilding, let's be thankful that we are part of a movement, nationally and globally, that is based on the values of compassion, generosity and love.
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