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The President:
From my family to yours,
I'd like to wish you a
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happy Thanksgiving.
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Like millions of Americans,
Michelle, Malia,
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Sasha and I will spend
the day eating great food,
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watching a little football,
and reflecting on how truly
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lucky we are.
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As Americans, each of us has our
own list of things and people to
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be thankful for.
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But there are some
blessings we all share.
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We're especially grateful for
the men and women who defend our
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country overseas.
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To all the service members
eating Thanksgiving dinner far
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from your families: the
American people are thinking of
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you today.
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And when you come home, we
intend to make sure that we
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serve you as well as
you're serving America.
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We're also grateful for the
Americans who are taking time
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out of their holiday to serve
in soup kitchens and shelters,
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making sure their neighbors have
a hot meal and a place to stay.
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This sense of mutual
responsibility --
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the idea that I'm
my brother's keeper;
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that I'm my sister's keeper --
has always been part of what
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makes our country special.
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And it's one of the reasons
the Thanksgiving tradition
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has endured.
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The very first Thanksgiving
was a celebration of community
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during a time of great hardship,
and we've followed that example
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ever since.
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Even when the fate of our
union was far from certain --
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during a Civil War, two World
Wars, a Great Depression --
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Americans drew strength
from each other.
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They had faith that tomorrow
would be better than today.
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We're grateful that they did.
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As we gather around the table,
we pause to remember the
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pilgrims, pioneers and patriots
who helped make this country
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what it is.
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They faced impossible odds, and
yet somehow, they persevered.
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Today, it's our turn.
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I know that for many of you,
this Thanksgiving is more
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difficult than most.
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But no matter how tough
things are right now,
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we still give thanks for that
most American of blessings,
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the chance to determine
our own destiny.
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The problems we face
didn't develop overnight,
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and we won't solve
them overnight.
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But we will solve them.
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All it takes is for each
of us to do our part.
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With all the partisanship and
gridlock here in Washington,
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it's easy to wonder if such
unity is really possible.
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But think about what's
happening at this very moment:
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Americans from all walks of
life are coming together as one
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people, grateful for the
blessings of family, community,
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and country.
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If we keep that spirit alive, if
we support each other and look
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out for each other and remember
that we're all in this together,
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then I know that we, too,
will overcome the challenges
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of our time.
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So today, I'm thankful to
serve as your President and
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Commander-in-Chief.
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I'm thankful that my daughters
get to grow up in this great
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country of ours.
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And I'm thankful for the chance
to do my part, as together,
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we make tomorrow
better than today.
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Thanks, and have a
wonderful Thanksgiving.