President Barack Obama has connected the dots in his unique way again, this time comparing the 17th century pilgrims on the Mayflower with Syrian refugees.
He used his weekly speech on Wednesday to make another pitch to Americans to embrace 10,000 Syrian refugees, and said:
Nearly four centuries after the Mayflower set sail, the world is still full of pilgrims — men and women who want nothing more than the chance for a safer, better future for themselves and their families. What makes America America is that we offer that chance.
So far, 30 governors have said their states will not cooperate with the federal program, but President Obama is undaunted.
Adopting time-tested legends for political purposes has become one of President Obama’s favorite hobbies, after golf.
His use of the Thanksgiving appeal to compare refugees with pilgrims parallels his constant refrain that Palestinian Authority Arabs are just like the Jews who fled slavery from Egypt to enter the Promised Land.
President Obama’s understanding of the message of Thanksgiving is far different from that of Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, who stated in his holiday message:
When we think back to that first Thanksgiving in 1621, and all that the Pilgrims endured, only half surviving the first brutal winter, we remember sacrifice upon which this land was built – and the sacrifice that continues to keep us free and safe….
In the struggle for independence, the brave motley group of soldiers defeated the greatest military force in the world. In the battle against slavery, the bloodshed to purge this people from our original sin. In the World Wars, the thousands who fought in the trenches and scaled the cliffs of Normandy to save the American idea…..
We are grateful for all those who have gone before us and for those who continue to serve: for the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who courageously defend our freedom…..And remembering to give thanks to God:
Below is President Obama’s Thanksgiving sermon.