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A Day of Thanks
By Jena Powell, State Representative, Ohio’s 80th House District
On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln announced the nation
would “observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of
Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father.” This announcement
officially declared the last Thursday of every November to be a
national holiday of Thanksgiving.
This year, it’s no question we are facing hardships as a community,
state, and nation. However, we still have so much to be thankful for
this Thanksgiving. I especially want to highlight one of our greatest
blessings – our constitutional freedoms in the United States.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives, but it
does not change our inalienable rights. It does not change our right to
assembly and association, protected by the First Amendment. No
governmental body can tell you who can and cannot gather in your home –
including the Governor. And for many Ohioans, Thanksgiving serves as a
day of worship to thank God for His many blessings. Your religious
freedom is, of course, protected by the First Amendment.
This is not the first pandemic America has seen, and it probably will
not be the last. While our way of life has changed this year, the
Constitution remains the same. Thanksgiving is a time for all of us to
slow down and remember the blessings we are given. I believe one of the
most important blessings is being a citizen of the United States of
America, where we can exercise our First Amendment rights.
I hope you and your family have an enjoyable and healthy Thanksgiving.
Jena Powell
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