Guarding the gobble

There's a very important holiday coming up in less than two weeks. This holiday honors a very important day in the history of our country, and it allows us to reflect on the year. Yet, every year this poor holiday is overlooked in favor of the big ugly white man in the red suit who gives things to kids to shut up their whining. \nEvery year the turkey gets sidelined by American society weeks before Thanksgiving, just in time for the public to reward their bad-ass kids who like to rip down clothes in the mall or open cereal boxes in the grocery store by buying them the latest video games or new pairs of shoes. \nOne might look at society neglecting Thanksgiving as something small that shouldn't be a big deal. One might also credit the neglect to the fact that Thanksgiving sucks and Christmas is the only good holiday during the season. \nWell, I am here to defend the turkey. \nIn honor of the great Thanksgiving symbol, I am here to explain why the holiday should not be overlooked. Also, I will explain how the fact we overlook the turkey in favor of the fat man in the shining suit says a lot about us as a society. \nThe fact Thanksgiving is ignored year after year in this country weeks before it gets here in an effort to jump start the shopping season says a lot. Thanksgiving is the one day set aside every year for Americans to be grateful for the wonderful things they have. Despite the fact we are led by a bonehead president, we live in one of the best countries in the world. We have opportunities to do things in this country that most people around the world can't even imagine, simply because were Americans. And despite all of this, most Americans still choose to have a "give me" mindset.\nMost Americans still have the mentality of "What has my country done for me?" or "what have you done for me lately?" This attitude is shown annually around Thanksgiving. It's not ironic the holiday is always overlooked. It just shows our society is driven so much by materialistic things, and that it only cares about whatever can put cash in its pockets. \nThanksgiving is a great holiday, and it shouldn't be the stepchild of Christmas. It is the day for you to get close to your rich relatives so you can be assured you'll get a good gift for Christmas. Also it's the one day that we as college students get a much needed break from Taco Johns and Flamingo's Grill, and indulge in great home cooking like stuffing, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, corn bread, sweet potato, and of course, the good ol' turkey. \nThe turkey itself makes Thanksgiving a great day. We as Americans can learn a lot from the bird. He forgives so many Americans every year. Think about it. We eat his relatives by the pounds every year, savoring every ounce of it. Yet every year the turkey comes back with a smile and he's willing to help us celebrate this great holiday. \nAnd how do we reward him? By basically telling him he's not important by filling TV commercials and shopping windows with images of his arch enemy, the big fat man that looks like a pitcher of cherry Kool-aid. Respect for the turkey has been something long overdue in this country -- and by respect, I don't mean just with an oversized balloon flown over the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, followed by a large Santa Claus balloon. \nAmericans, as we go into this holiday season, I beg you to enjoy Thanksgiving for what it is. Be appreciative for the things we have. And above all, show respect for the turkey.