Thanksgiving has particular connections to Cambridge, Boston and Massachusetts as a whole. At a time when we give thanks for family, friendship and more, we should remember the history of this holiday, especially since this is the 150th anniversary of the Presidential Proclamation of 1863, first noting a formal Thanksgiving Day for the United States.
The first harvest festival of this type so noted is, of course, Plymouth of the Pilgrims, in 1621. Here in Cambridge, a declaration was made by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in October 1774, likely meeting in the Fourth Meeting House in Harvard Square, the present site of Lehman Hall. This is considered the first formal governmental declaration of our present tradition, already a customary practice by then.
It is customary in many families and at many dinner tables throughout Cambridge, Massachusetts, New England and America to go around the table and indicate those people, events and circumstances that we are thankful for.
The Cambridge Historical Commission has produced an interesting Occasional Notes, titled “Thanksgiving in Cambridge,” which can be found online at www2.cambridgema.gov/Historic/Thanksgiving.pdf.
We have much to be thankful for this year, even as we look forward with perhaps equal measures of hope, caution, fear and trepidation.
Thankful that the tragic events of April 2013 gave us a new hero, shared amongst Cambridge, Somerville and Boston, in MIT Officer Sean Collier. He has been promptly, readily and appropriately honored in his death, and giving an opportunity to reflect on the intersections of life and service amongst these three communities, the adjacent community of Watertown, and the entire Greater Boston community as a whole — Greater Boston Strong.
We can be thankful that at this point, new such outrages have not occurred, and prayerful that they do not occur ever again.
Thankful that this newspaper fights the good fight, by Freedom of Information request, by brave and courageous editorials, and by having remained newspaper of record for Cambridge, through various ownerships, and many editors and staff; as is said, “Oldest Weekly Newspaper In America,” established 1846.
Thankful that Henry Irving, despite much provocation, served for nearly six years as chairman of the Cambridge Republican City Committee, in a time when few may have understood that different ideals should, in fact, be publicly addressed, written and published.
Thankful that there is a Republican City Committee in Cambridge, modest though it is, willing to support those brave candidates willing to publicly be on a ballot as opposition candidates. Too often we have a disappointing warmed-over corps of candidates and officeholders, and a few recently elected who appear too often to take prepared positions, that lack originality, or even ordinary insight.
We can be thankful for great presidents whose lives of service were shaped in Cambridge, such as one of the greatest presidents — Theodore Roosevelt; and significant presidents all — John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Whatever their weaknesses, their strengths and contributions to history are, indeed, notable. Many thousands more have graduated from our universities and our very own neighborhoods, and contributed each in their own ways, even if lesser known.
As we remember also the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, whatever our differences, we must remember that his judgment beyond his years, helped very much to save our planet from a devastating end.
We should be thankful that this paper still allows having a recognized Republican voice that clearly allows critics from the center, from the right, and even a few progressive threads, to have a say on extremely expensive public education, tax policies that are unfair, and other matters, not as clearly addressed as they once were.
We should be thankful that Cambridge and nearby parts of Boston have become the center of biotechnology in the world, virtually every day making new discoveries that are saving lives, leading to longer and better quality lives and generating substantial economic activity including jobs and needed revenue.
We should be thankful that we are blessed with three great institutions in Harvard, MIT and Lesley, and many smaller ones. Even though we may wish for more help from their vast resources, they do provide a lamp to the world, hopefully lifting some of the darkness across our planet; surely inspiring many.
Vincent Lawrence Dixon is senior tour guide for Cambridge Advantage Tours and a previous former chairman for the Cambridge Republican City Committee, and can be reached at dixonenta16@yahoo.com.