When asked in 2006 on Dennis Prager's radio show if he thought the United States, on balance, has predominantly been a force for good or bad in the world, Howard Zinn, well-known leftist, historian and America-hater, answered:

"Probably more bad than good. We've done some good, of course ... but we have done too many bad things in the world. If you look at the way we have used our armed force throughout our history - first, destroying the Indian communities of this continent and annihilating Indian tribes ..."

...followed by a whole lot of blah, blah, blah.

(Like you didn’t see that coming).

Almost as much of a tradition as turkey, cranberry sauce, Dallas Cowboys football and pumpkin pie are the annual Thanksgiving Day editorials and opinion pieces which sound like they could have come directly from the pen of Zinn (and others), printed almost everywhere, lamenting the horrifically murderous origins of the United States - the wiping out of indigenous people, the calculated spreading of disease, slavery, raping, pillaging, you name it.

For example, today's editorial page of the Redmond Reporter opines:

Columbus, in fact, was the precursor to a mass genocide. More than 100 years later, the Pilgrims arrived peacefully to participate in the first Thanksgiving dinner. But, instead they opened the door to more death and destruction of the Native Americans.

Eventually, they became the minority, captives in their own land. You can bet, they were never thankful for the famine, war, death, and plagues brought on by the Europeans.

Thanksgiving was a holiday created by President Abraham Lincoln to give Americans something to be thankful for during the Civil War. People can be thankful for a lot of things, but genocide should not be one of them.

To read these guilt-ridden shame-peddlers, who ironically benefit tremendously from the freedoms and opportunities afforded them in this country – suffering from what Rush Limbaugh sometimes calls “affluenza” – you’d almost have to conclude that although the failings of humanity may have manifested themselves in various ways before the founding of the United States, they have never done so with such ferocity, never to such a degree and never with such reward since the founding.

The author obviously went to an American University.

Okay, first ... a tiny history lesson (If you know this already, skip ahead).

Let's be clear, the holiday was not created by Lincoln. Rather, it became a consistently annual one under Lincoln. There were, in fact, many instances of a Thanksgiving holiday prior to 1863.

In 1777, the Continental Congress gave the first National Proclamation of Thanksgiving:

"It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive Powers of these UNITED STATES to set apart THURSDAY, the eighteenth Day of December next, for SOLEMN THANKSGIVING and PRAISE: That at one Time and with one Voice, the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine Benefactor;"

The next year in 1778, Samuel Adams authored a Thanksgiving resolution, approved by Congress in November, writing:

"It having pleased Almighty God through the Course of the present year, to bestow great and manifold Mercies on the People of these United States."

" Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation..."

Good stuff.

And there were many others - not only at a national level, but at a state level as well. (It's not difficult to do the research. Really.)

Now, as far as genocide is concerned - and I admit to a touch of fascination with how Leftocrats choose the words they will bastardize and dilute while still managing to keep straight faces - let me be as explicit as possible.

The idea that Europeans committed genocide against the indigenous North American population is categorically false. It did not happen. The evidence and the historical record do not corroborate these claims. Indeed, there were slaughters, bloody battles, all out wars waged and ugliness to be sure ... but to claim genocide is a flat out lie. Genocide's meaning is as unambiguous as a definition can be - the deliberate, calculated, systematic destruction of a particular group.

That America has "evolved" to the point where offense is taken at honoring what is often called the first Thanksgiving in 1621, and words like "genocide" are tossed around so freely and easily, speaks volumes about those who hawk these contemptible myths.

Frankly, it's disgusting.

So long as the invading Europeans can be portrayed in the most negative light possible and school children can be made to bewail the earth-loving civilizations that were obliterated by the invading peace-pummeling, weapons-loving, land raping, slave owners, Thanksgiving will still have a place.

Nauseating.

Every single ethnic group and race will have wielded equal influence on all things related to the founding of this country by the time the history books are reconstructed with a multicultural pen.

At some point, it may not be unreasonable to expect to "discover" that there were actually Muslims or Africans or Atlantians at that first Thanksgiving table almost four centuries ago.

(I digress)

As far as the real meaning of the holiday ... don't even think of bringing God into the discussion.

It is really about the Indians teaching the stumbling, bumbling Europeans to catch eels.

As evidenced by the recent events in Claremont, California - where the parents of kindergarten students have been clashing over the 40-year tradition at Condit Elementary School of kids dressing like Pilgrims and Indians to celebrate Thanksgiving – moronic hippie-trail sensitivity (critical leftist thinking) is trying to redefine the rules of the game … again.

As one parent put it:

"It's demeaning. I'm sure you can appreciate the inappropriateness of asking children to dress up like slaves (and kind slave masters), or Jews (and friendly Nazis), or members of any other racial minority group who has struggled in our nation's history."

Umm ...

Okay.

The inability to solicit critical thought from the Left no longer astounds me. I accept it - like losing socks on laundry day or belly button lint.

I have always thought of the Thanksgiving holiday this way, as expressed by George Washington:

"...that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord."