In a few weeks, it will be the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing in Plymouth, Mass.
They disembarked from the Mayflower near a big boulder that became the legendary Plymouth Rock.
Over the years, souvenir hunters chipped away at the rock. To protect it, an effort was mounted to move it to the town square, but it broke in half while being moved. The pieces were rejoined and it was moved back to its original site, and a protective shelter was placed around the much-diminished former boulder.
The breaking of the rock and the souvenir hunters chipping away might be a warning for the risk to our democracy that currently exists.
The real question is why did the Pilgrims take their long journey across the Atlantic, knowing they would arrive right before the beginning of winter. The answer? To find religious freedom. They considered the Church of England to be corrupt. They were called Separatists and were persecuted for their statements and beliefs. Eventually their beliefs that a government organized church was not a pure form of Christianity led them to the conclusion that they needed to leave and so they did. This purity of faith became their name Puritans.
The Puritans were not well-liked in England. They condemned the theatre, popular music and even the style of dress. This holier-than-thou behavior was ridiculed and became the subject of derision. Remaining true to their beliefs led to the conclusion that they should leave for the New World, to be able to practice what they wanted without limitation.
Their survival was very much in question during that first cold New England winter. The Wampanoag people brought food to the first Thanksgiving meal and taught the Pilgrims how to adapt to the climate. So, we have a group of immigrants without any governmental permission arriving on our shores and being welcomed by the local inhabitants.
Think about that as a lesson for today.
We also have a group of radicals today who want to practice what they believe, without government interference or with more government intervention. From 1620, it only took 156 years for another group of radicals we call the Founders to declare our independence from the English oppressors. In 2020 – as we vote on leadership – some of those same themes are being used to inflame the electorate.
Has anything really changed?
Thanksgiving is fast approaching. Let’s return it to more than a holiday based on the size of the turkey we acquire.
We have a lot to be thankful for and let’s hope that our beloved democracy survives the next few months or years.
Roger Carlton is a columnist for The Graham Star. He is a council member for the Town of Lake Santeetlah.