UN-HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Why Do Journos Hate This Holiday So Much?

Assuming you are allowed (depending on how mandate-crazy your governor is) to meet up with your family for even the smallest of get-togethers this Thanksgiving, the media want you to use that day of giving thanks to instead lecture your conservative family members about America’s atrocities. 

Over the years the MRC has tracked liberal journalists’ hatred of this very American holiday and how they’ve tried to ruin it for everybody. 

Here are some examples of the most outrageous lib journos efforts to destroy Thanksgiving. 

1. WHAT CAN YOU DO? YOU CELEBRATE THE DAY OF ATROCITY

Media Check Our Thanksgiving Privilege, Tout “Day of Mourning”

In 2019, NB’s Gabriel Hays wrote up the Attack on the holy dayBy The New YorkerCNN

The New Yorker did some heavy historical lifting to remind white European-Americans just how much their hallowed “creation stories” are lies meant to distract them from what this country is: a place of racial injustice that was founded on racial injustice. During America’s civil war era, “American mythmakers discovered that the Pilgrims, and New England as a whole, were perfectly cast as national founders: white, Protestant, democratic, and blessed with an American character.”

The story served white megalomania well into the future. The outlet claimed, “Glorifying the endurance of white Pilgrim founders diverted attention from the brutality of Jim Crow and racial violence, and downplayed the foundational role of African slavery.”

The piece clarified the savage truth behind this myth: “the Thanksgiving story buries the major cause of King Philip’s War — the relentless seizure of Indian land. It also covers up the consequence.” Oh yes, as we’ve been told time and time again, much raping and pillaging happened.

Even throwing in the notion that the legendary meeting of Wampanoags with Pilgrims occurred because the cautious Indians were disturbed by the settlers’ enjoyment shooting guns. “It was a party, not a prayer, and was full of people shooting at things,” historians have claimed, affirming that Indians weren’t actually there to celebrate, but see if everything was all right.

“They came not to enjoy a multicultural feast but to aid the Pilgrims: hearing repeated gunfire, they assumed that the settlers were under attack.” Of course what followed were centuries of land seizure, small-pox, and yes, genocide.

…

Even CNN’s Victor Blackwell had to start his Thanksgiving coverage by mentioning the “Day of Mourning,” the alternative Thanksgiving where the last few Wampanoags living in Massachusetts remember they were robbed, and are still waiting for justice for the wanton destruction of their tribes.

Curry: Indians “Feel Thanksgiving Should Be Day of Mourning”

Interview on the 24th of November 2003 Get it Today show with the author of a book urging families to learn more about the history of Thanksgiving and to appreciate being American, Curry countered: “You know there are some American Indians who feel that Thanksgiving should be a day of mourning, not a day of celebration, because of what happened to their people.”

Happy “Colonizer” Day! 

MSNBC contributor Jason Johnson: “Thanksgiving has changed over time as well. I know in my family, I know several people who call it ‘Colonizer Christmas,’ because they don’t really like the idea of what Thanksgiving represents.”…
The New YorkerJelani Cohens, writer: “That original Thanksgiving, you know, where the colony was starving….anthropological research suggests was in such dire conditions they had to resort to cannibalism to remain alive….It always has been kind of awkward to say that you commemorate that, by stuffing yourself with as much food as you can find. And maybe, perhaps, people have to actually think about a small sacrifice that would be fitting, in keeping with this day.”
— MSNBC’s AM JoyNovember 21st, 2020. 

MSNBC: Thanksgiving Is About White Settlers Who Brought “Genocide and Violence”

On the November 20, 2021 edition of The Cross Connection, MSNBC host Tiffany Cross allowed a guest to deliver a rant against America to mark the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. After lauding liberal Native American activist Gyasi Ross as a “show favorite,” she then switched to what appeared to be a pre-recorded essay from him with his thoughts about the holiday. Ross began by claiming that it is a “pathology of white America” to see their ancestors as improving North America after they arrived, he then added: “ButYou’m still trying to find out what indigenous people received of value. Don’t bring biscuits and stuffing. These settlers introduced violence and genocide to the area.”

HuffPost: Cancel Thanksgiving in order to save the planet

Back in 2019 NB’s Alexa Moutevelis discoveredYou can find more information at HuffpostArticle that suggested we should forgo Thanksgiving in order to save the Earth 

HuffPostIt is highly recommended that you forgo Thanksgiving entirely to help stop global warming. It is selfish to travel to be with friends and family to give thanks.

Author Alexandra Emanuelli began her article on Nov. 5 with a reminder that Trump is pulling out of Paris climate agreement and the surely non-political Climate Action Tracker rates America’s efforts as “insufficient.” This leads Emanuelli to write, “With that in mind, one wonders: How much damage are we doing with our epic Thanksgiving meal every year?” No, actually, normal people don’t wonder such ridiculous things. And yet she talked to researchers in an attempt to calculate “Thanksgiving’s carbon footprint.”

Thanksgiving Is “The Supremely White American holiday,” “Most Ghoulish Event on the National Calendar”

NewsBusters’ Executive Editor Tim Graham came across this anti-Thanksgiving tirade on the Website.Black Commentator: 

“Nobody celebrates Thanksgiving quite like Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. It is reserved by history and the intent of ‘the founders’ as the supremely white American holiday, the most ghoulish event on the national calendar. There is no Halloween that can compare to the exterminationist horror of American Thanksgiving. It is the most loathsome, humanity-insulting day of the year — a pure glorification of racist barbarity.”

New York Times: Trumpian bigots, and other ignorant people wish you a Happy Thanksgiving

In 2019 NB’s Clay Waters found a couple of cheery holiday items by New York Times Columnists:

Paul Krugman, Times columnist, counterintuitively and perhaps unintentionally, presented Thanksgiving as something to celebrate, while the rest of the world was busy making a new meaning for Thanksgiving. Why? To bash Trump and his supporters as bigots, naturally in the piece: “Why Trump Should Hate Thanksgiving” 

“Do Trump and his band of bigots even understand what Thanksgiving is about? If they understood, they would loathe this American holiday. The Pilgrims fled persecution from the English monarchy at that time, and were instead refugees. In other words, they were exactly who Trump and his company would like to avoid. The traditional Thanksgiving portrait is a time of multiculturalism and racial tolerance. It features European immigrants enjoying a meal with Native Americans. That moment didn’t last: Much of New England’s native population was wiped out over the next few decades. Such an outcome could have been expected. But we still celebrate the tale of a benign meeting of races and cultures.”…

Columnist Charles Blow was on more familiar ground, explaining the real history of Thanksgiving to the ignorant in “The Horrible History of Thanksgiving — Before you fill your plate, please remember why we mark this day.”

At least he didn’t spare himself from condemnation:

“I thought it was such a beautiful story: People reaching across race and culture to share with one another, to commune with one another. This is only a small part of the story about Thanksgiving. Like so much of American history, the story has had its least attractive features winnow away — white people have been centered in the narrative and all atrocity has been politely papered over.”

2. POLITICS IS RUINING THANKSGIVING, UNLESS YOUR ARE LECTURING CONSERVATIVES

Trump to Blame for Thanksgiving Dinner: Civility has disappeared

2019 NB Kristine Marsh recounted how ABC’s The ViewThe crew claimed that Donald Trump had destroyed the holiday. 

Whoopi [Goldberg] went on to wish for times where there wasn’t animosity towards family members for their political differences.

“I want the America where we’re all sitting around going, ‘Well, I don’t know if I agree with that?’ Not, ‘You’re a terrible, horrible person’ because remember, like, 20 years ago when people started saying, ‘Well, you’re not really an American if you don’t agree with me’?’ I want to go back to those days. It’s time for us to be able to disagree, eat together and have fun. It’s all I desire. Do you know what? That’s what I want.”

This was met with applause but Sunny Hostin and Joy Behar couldn’t help but blame Trump.

“I think that will come back when people believe in their government, when people believe that their president is acting for their own — for Americans,” Hostin remarked.

Behar piped up with “Instead of himself!” to Hostin’s agreement.

Whoopi asked her co-hosts, “Do you think it will come back if we believe in ourselves as well?” before adding, “Civility seems to have gone away.” 

CNN: How to Talk about Impeachment at Thanksgiving Dinner

In 2019, NB’s P.J. Gladnick discovered that CNN articleHere are some tips to make you the worst guest at the Thanksgiving Dinner Table 

Have you ever had a weird desire to both bore your Thanksgiving dinner guests and be annoying them? Good news, it’s possible! CNN’s Zachary B. Wolf on Wednesday provided a handy dandy guide on how to easily accomplish this task with “Get smart on impeachment before Thanksgiving dinner.” 

Wolf assumes the public isn’t listening to enough mainstream media talk about impeachment 24/7. He imagines the public will be able to eat turkey and stuffing, but also have the time for the impeachment debate that is the focus of so much media attention.

“Happy Thanksgiving! You probably don’t want to talk politics with your Uncle Al, but it’s going to come up. CNN’s poll of Americans this week showed that 4 out 10 are very interested in the impeachment proceedings. But almost everybody has an opinion. Here’s what you need to know about impeachment to not sound like a stuffed turkey in front of your family and friends.”

Chicago Tribune Columnist: This Thanksgiving, How to mock your crazy Trump-loving family members

For 2019, Kristine Marsh wrote it Chicago Tribune columnist Rex Huppke’s guide on how to talk to the Trump-loving, Fox News-watching members of the family: 

Huppke goes on a pompous lecture shaming Republicans as a cult lacking brains.

“We are living not just in a divided America but in an America made up of two wholly separate realities. One is inhabited by those of us who have managed to keep at least one foot in the world where provable facts exist and good and bad mean what we’ve always believed them to mean. The other is populated by those who have joined President Donald Trump’s cult of lack-of-personality and had the left hemisphere of their cerebral cortex replaced with a Sean Hannity bobblehead that, every five minutes, shouts, “BENGHAZI!!”

Harper’s Bazaar Writer: Become Annoyingly Political at Thanksgiving Dinner

2018: Back P.J. GladnickThis thoughtful piece of advice for dinner conversation was found by Harper’s Bazaar writer Rachel Elizabeth Cargle: 

Cargle has come up with a bunch of ways to destroy the Thanksgiving mood by going annoyingly political as you can read in her November 19 article, “How to Talk to Your Family About Racism on Thanksgiving.” Cargle kicks things off by dispensing advice from a famous American Communist:

“After a year of relentless atrocities that don’t always make for easy conversation at the dinner table, it’s important to make Thanksgiving preparations beyond the tablescape and the menu. This year, I want you to prepare for something a little more nuanced than stuffing or cranberry sauce: I want you to prepare to rock the family boat, with important discussions that stretch beyond the surface of “How’s the weather?” and “Who are you dating these days?” So, I’m coming to you with a guide that should push you beyond apathy, and instead, teach you how to be a part of the solution. Angela Davis reminds that being racist isn’t enough. It is not enough to be an anti-racist. And if you’re not part of the solution then it means you’re part of the problem. So here is some language to help you navigate Thanksgiving day dinner.”

3. HOW DARE (REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS) EXPLORE THANKSGIVING FORPHOTO-OPS

MSNBC’s Ruhle Calls Trump’s Thanksgiving Visit to Afghanistan a “Photo-Op”

In 2019, NB’s Alex Christy wrote-up MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle ascribing cynical motives to President Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving visit to the troops: 

Everybody can agree that surprise presidential visits to military zones during holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are a bipartisan tradition. While most view such visits as a way to honor the troops and express amazement at the amount of planning and secrecy that goes into such trips, MSNBC Live host Stephanie Ruhle took Friday to call Trump’s Thanksgiving visit to Afghanistan a “photo-op” and wonder that if he will plan more foreign visits as part of a strategy to counter impeachment.

Ruhle theorized that the trip was about the imagery of the presidency, “The imagery of the president standing there with troops behind him, the President literally, maybe he’s watching, tweeted a bunch of photos from the trip. That’s a big win for him.”

She then asked Washington Post White House correspondent Anne Gearan, “Given the impeachment battle is going on, the president is under attack in all sorts of ways, are we going to see more overseas trips that give him these kind of photo-op scenarios?”

Obama “Wins Troops’ Cheers” in Iraq, But Bush’s Thanksgiving Visit Greeted With Petulance

Returned in April 2009, Barack Obama wowed the press with his trip to Iraq, which was a different reaction George W. Bush received from journalists when he made a Turkey Day visit to the troops in 2003: 

The front page of Wednesday’s TimesA huge Associated Press photograph of President Obama greeting troops during his surprise visit to Baghdad featured in the publication. Caption (from the print edition; emphasis in original).

“In Unexpected Visit to Iraq, Obama Wins Troops’ Cheers – Military personnel at Camp Victory in Baghdad applauded President Obama on Tuesday when he said ‘It is time for us to transition to the Iraqis.’”

That teased a favorable story about Obama’s visit on Page 11, which included another photo of Obama and the troops, with a more straightforward caption (again from the print):

“President Obama spoke to American troops at Camp Victory, Iraq, on Tuesday. The president said that it was time for Iraqis ‘to take responsibility for their country and for their sovereignty.’” 

You can compare the enthusiasm for photography to Times showed over Obama’s first trip as president to Iraq to the coolness with which the paper’s photo-caption writers greeted President George W. Bush’s dramatic first, secret visit to Iraq on Thanksgiving Day 2003, which occurred during intense wartime hostilities.

While even Bush-hostile reporter Elisabeth Bumiller admitted in her front-page story that the president was surrounded by “stunned, whooping soldiers,” none of that enthusiasm made it into the photo captions from Bush’s visit to Baghdad.

A caption that was attached to a front-page photograph of Bush with a turkey in his hand among soldiers was very descriptive.

“President Bush with American troops yesterday at the mess hall at Baghdad International Airport.”

And a photo caption that evidently appeared on the article’s jump page was self-obsessed and petulant. According to Timesarchive

“President Bush posed for a photograph yesterday during his surprise visit to American troops at the airport in Baghdad, Iraq. Few journalists were told of the trip or allowed to cover it.”