It's been said that gratitude is the most fragrant of the virtues and ingratitude one of the ugliest of character defects. Those who are grateful for what others have done for them have about them a certain sweetness and loveliness not exuded by any other personality trait while those who take all their blessings for granted, or think of them as things to which they're entitled, or who are otherwise ungrateful for what others have done for them project a self-centeredness or ignorance that's thoroughly unpleasant to be around.
In fact, I suspect one reason many people are resentful of the protests that have of late accompanied every NFL pre-game national anthem is that the demonstrators seem to the average fan to be ungrateful for the many blessings this country has bestowed upon them.
These athletes have become fabulously wealthy, famous and beloved, they've reached a level of achievement that would've been impossible for them to attain in any other nation on earth, and yet they have so little gratitude that they refuse to show respect for the anthem that represents all the sacrifices that have made their success possible, all the principles from which they have benefitted and all the opportunities that they enjoy as Americans.
Whether ingratitude actually lies at the root of this disdain for the anthem or not, many fans probably intuit that it does and are understandably repulsed by it.
In any case, we all have much to be thankful for, and it would be good tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day to express our appreciation to, and for, those to whom we owe so much.
Here's a quick video that explains the history behind the first Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims in Massachusetts:
