Comments on: Jared Burkholder on Thanksgiving and Politics – Thanksgiving 2019 https://wthrockmorton.com/2019/11/25/jared-burkholder-on-thanksgiving-and-politics-thanksgiving-2019/ A [retired] college psychology professor's observations about public policy, mental health, sexual identity, and religious issues Mon, 25 Nov 2019 15:34:29 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 By: Jeff Ryan https://wthrockmorton.com/2019/11/25/jared-burkholder-on-thanksgiving-and-politics-thanksgiving-2019/#comment-105228 Mon, 25 Nov 2019 12:39:54 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com/?p=35305#comment-105228 I grew up not far from Plymouth, Massachusetts, and was duly taken to see Plymouth Rock as a kid. (By the time I was in fifth grade, I could also give the tour of the U.S.S. Constitution as well as the Navy sailors who actually were assigned to do just that.) One of the only things I am now sure of is that Plymouth Rock is indeed a rock. I’m fairly sure, too, that no “Pilgrim” ever set foot on it upon arrival.

Growing up in Massachusetts, one can’t avoid constant exposure to various legends about the Founding, including an extremely mendacious retelling of the story of the Boston Massacre and various dubious claims about Paul Revere. Every country has some origin legend and an accompanying set of myths to go with it. The First Thanksgiving is one such, a tale of harmony between the bravely religious settlers and the friendly Indians.

Destruction of these kinds of myths creates a vacuum. We must be careful of what rushes in to fill it.

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