Jim Murray

7 years ago · 2 min. reading time · ~10 ·

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A Thanksgiving Wish For America

A Thanksgiving Wish For America

Murray + Creative Director
Onwords & Upwords Inc. &
beBee Brand Ambassador
I am a communications professional,
arily a strategist & writer. I work with
small to mid sized businesses, designers,

art/creative directors & consultants to
ate results driven, strategically focused
mmunications in all on & offline media.

Iam also a communications mentor,
lyricist & prolific op/ed beBee blogger.
: 416 463-3475 + Bmail: onandup3@gmail com » Skype: jimbobmur6lThe world has become a much scarier place since the advent of the 21st century. Many more people live in a state of fear than they ever have.
Sometimes, it feels like this is the beginning of the end of civilization.
But if you take a look back through history you will see that the world actually hasn’t changed all that much. There have been wars raging since weapons were invented and probably even before.
There have been races conquering other races. There has been insurrection and revolution. There has been rebellion and anarchy and chaos everywhere at some point in the world’s history.
But at the same time there have been and are today places that have been spared from a lot of the violence that plagues the earth.
I live in one of those places. It’s called Canada.
And yes we have had our share of all the the aforementioned conflict. But for pretty much all of my life, I have lived in a country that was a peaceful place. A place filled with good people who care about their neighbours and genuinely appreciate the gift of peace that has been bestowed on them. A place that feels like the truest democracy on earth, with opportunity and generosity of spirit and a reputation around the world for being a real helper to those in need.
This Thanksgiving Day in America finds the country beseiged by internal turmoil. It finds the country divided as markedly as it ever has been. And it finds itself unsure of what the future holds for it and all the good people who live there.
To these people I would have one wish. And that would be that they would stop thinking of themselves as being defined by their political party, economic status or ethnicity. That they would just think of themselves as what they actually are, which is Americans. Not Jewish Americans or Irish Americas or African Americans, or Hispanic Americans or Muslim Americans or Confederate Americans …but just Americans.
I have spent the last 5 decades watching America from a peaceful place. I have traveled around America quite a bit and know what a beautiful country it is. And how wonderful the majority of American people are.
But lately I have been seeing that America is going through a lot of changes and not for the better. And these changes are bringing out the worst in a lot of people, whereas change used to bring out the best in them.
I feel bad for America right now. Because I fear that a lot of people in America have lost sight of who they are and what it is about being American that makes their country great.
And, to me the most important thing that makes them great is their belief in each other. In their ability to work together to move mountains and achieve great things.To build great businesses and institutions. And to make sure that everyone comes along for the ride. That everyone is given the chance to pitch in and help. And most importantly that the diversity of great thinking of the American people is as much a result of their differences as it is of their similarities.

My Thanksgiving wish for you, America, is to get back to where you were before all the destructive forces that are creating chaos in your great country got the upper hand.To get back to the real America. And I know you know what that means.
I said that and I mean it.

Happy Thanksgiving from your Canadian friend, jim

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Comments

Jim Murray

7 years ago #9

#9
Randy Keho I can never tell how serious you are because you are so good at satire. I'll take that as an LOL, maybe even an LMFAO

Jim Murray

7 years ago #8

#9
Randy Keho. I love your near perfect non-sidedness. You have managed to completely confound just about everyone.

Jim Murray

7 years ago #7

#9
I love you adamant non-sidededness.

Philippe Collard

7 years ago #6

#9
@Randy Keho, if Trump has his way, the press will become nothing more than a cheerleader for him...as for tolerating disagreement, say that to the minorities that are being harrased by white supremasists...it's not that they disagree, its their very existence that is being questionned...and one lat point "The people has spoken"...yes it has...by 2 millions votes (and counting) for HRC over Trump...not impressed where twice in 16 years someone who gathers more vote is not elected...

Randy Keho

7 years ago #5

Be thankful you live in a country that tolerates disagreement and cherishes free speech, which allows you to call the president-elect a pathological liar.
I add to your desire for the US, and I extend it to the rest of the world. The individual improvement should always be oriented to the benefit for the rest of human beings. Looking inside to offer the rest.

Philippe Collard

7 years ago #3

I was recruited by UCLA in 1983. I became a US citizen in 1993. By choice. Because I love America. Or rather, I loved what America was then. I was born in France, my mother country. I call America my wife-country. I love them both. And nobody should ever be asked to choose between one's mother and one's wife. Now America is showing the worst of itself: racist, white, intolerant, unequal, violent. This is not the America I decided to be part of. So I have a wish: "I want my America back". Yes, I said it. Because America belongs to all of us and "wanting it back" is not the sole prerogative of a bunch of white people who fear that there are too many immigrants (like me? who contributed to develop a new medical technology? who worked on the space station? you don't want me...when people insult immigrants, they insult me...a US citizen), people who would rather believe a pathological liar and put him in the White House. Seriously? I moved to the US under Reagan. Did not care much for the fellow but I definitely called him "my" President. All that changed on November 9th. I, and millions like me, look at our country (yes, I said "our" because it is as much "ours" as those who claim they lost it) and feel awful...but there is a remedy to all of this. Let us be vocal. America always looked forward...and we will not let a bunch of jerks force us to look back.

Paul Walters

7 years ago #2

Bravo Jim Murray

Jim Murray

7 years ago #1

#3
Thanks Jared. I grew up in Buffalo and am an Honorary Yank.

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