Is there value in rethinking -- or abandoning -- historical traditions?

Now that the turkey has been eaten and the pumpkin pie polished off, we can feel guilty about more than just our caloric intake.

That's because Thanksgiving is a sham and a shame -- a celebration of "the murder of indigenous people and the theft of their land by European colonialists."

At least, that appears to be the growing sentiment.

I can't recall a year when I've seen so many references to Thanksgiving as an evil day. The idea seemed to be everywhere -- from mainstream media to not-so-mainstream.

Is Thanksgiving really about racism and genocide? Should we consider it a day of mourning, as many suggest, rather than a day of celebration?

I have a couple of thoughts.

1) With every tradition, there is some "smoothing" of the rough edges, as stories are told and retold and shaped to fit the times. Mass media plays a role, too, by providing common images that come to represent the idea or theme of a celebration or holiday. As years go by, the complexity of historical analysis takes a backseat to a filtered, sanitized version of the truth.

But is there anything wrong with that? For most Americans, Thanksgiving is about friends and family. The pilgrims aren't even a consideration. No one sits around the table and gives thanks for European dominance over the Wampanoag tribe.

So aside from political gain or media visibility, what's the point of turning something like Thanksgiving into a finger-pointing exercise?

Is the third-grade teacher in the AP story above -- who walks into his classroom and steals things from his students to educate them about the European settlers -- really doing any good? Or is he simply creating another cariacture?

2) It's useless to look at historical events through modern mores and sensitivities and assign blame based upon what we know to be correct today. The first settlers began arriving along the East Coast four centuries ago. It was a different time, a different place.

I'm not suggesting that we should ignore the realities of the complex relationship between white settlers and natives, or that we should push aside any facts that don't fit a "Hollywood" version of history.

At the same time, I don't think we do ourselves any favors by simply switching our romanticized view from one side to the other.

What do you think about this issue, or about the broader topic of rethinking historical figures and events? Vote in the poll, then leave a comment.

Should Americans reconsider the way they think about Thanksgiving?

Yes -- can't ignore history No -- don't let political correctness ruin the holiday

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