Most Americans will rise on Thanksgiving and ‘bask in the freedoms of a country not at war’
The bodies of people killed in bombardment that hit a school housing displaced Palestinians, lie on the ground in the yard of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Nov. 10, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. About 50 bodies were recovered, said the director of Al-Shifa hospital where the casualties had been taken.
Khoder al-Zaanoun/Getty
Unfortunately, this Thanksgiving Day greets a world so tumultuous that giving authentic thanks might seem a real burden upon the soul.
I will rise on Thanksgiving morning in my safe and warm home, not in a tent, or on a sidewalk, or picking my way through the rubble and debris of war. When I peek through my blinds, my neighborhood will still be there, peaceful and undefiled. No missile launches will streak the morning sky. No screaming sirens will warn of imminent danger.
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Thanksgiving morning will unfold like a timid flower until eventually the sun’s rays visit my humble block of quiet homes and peaceful streets. We will rise, throw open the curtains, sit at breakfast and bask in the freedoms of a country not at war.
But as much as I want to say I’m blessed, I find myself feeling instead, just incredibly lucky.
Kathleen Melia, Niles
Giving thanks for good things in life
For years now, whether the economic times have been up, down or middling, I don’t think we as a society have been pausing often enough to reflect on the good that permeates our lives.
More recently I’ve been giving thanks whenever I salute our nation’s flag, go to bed on a full stomach, indulge in my abundant retirement leisure time, check my bank statements, meet friends online or face to face, recall my late parents, walk in from the outdoors into my temperature-controlled and dry home, or simply contemplate the blessing of being born to appreciate often assumed things.
I do all this most days now. This week I just add partaking in turkey, yams and cranberry sauce to the list.
Tom Gregg, Niles
Concerns about Yellow Line crash
I add my support to the points made in “Passengers question role of human error in CTA crash” written by David Struett in the Nov. 20 Sun-Times.
It appears there were no track/train control safety measures employed. More importantly, inbound Yellow Line trains are on a downward slope leading to the point of impact; and a right-hand bend at the bottom hid the operator’s vision (at the controls on the right side of the cab) by the viaduct on his right hand. The old 6000 series L cars had a sandbox, which could be ejected to improve braking on slippery rails. Why was grease there? Speaking of old, why wasn’t block signal protection installed?
Finally, there was a reference to a “conductor” aboard. What was his function, and was he forward in the cab?
Fred J. Wittenberg, Evanston