Comment 34 by AtheistEgbert :

Thanksgiving = ritual animal sacrifice.

We sometimes think we've progressed, but we still have stone aged brains.

Why, because we aren't herbivores yet?

Comment 38 by aquilacane :

I think in the States, Thanksgiving is largely a religious holiday. God is kind of who you are thanking. Tough position you are in if you don't want to thank god but I don't see Obama having a problem with this. He blesses America all the time. What a mistake if it is one. It's like giving a toast at a birthday but not mentioning who's birthday it is. I think this is a strategic fuck up but it may get respect from a few points.

That isn't how I understand the holiday, and I have seen over 20 of them. Thanksgiving is about being thankful for the people around you, especially your family.

How to Give Thanks at Thanksgiving

    1  Appreciate the food you are eating and the person or people who prepared it for you. They undoubtedly put a lot of work into the meal.
    2  Make something for other people to enjoy at the meal.
    3  Think about all the things you've learned this year and thus far in your life.
    4 Look at the people around you and be thankful that you are not spending Thanksgiving alone.
    5 Be grateful for your family, if you are with them. Nobody loves you more, even if they drive you crazy.
    6 Prepare a little celebratory toast or even a poem to recite to the people with whom you are spending Thanksgiving.
    7  Work in a soup kitchen or at a charity event before or after you eat your Thanksgiving meal.

And what do you think "Bless America" means? Who do you think he is calling for to Bless it? The powerless janitor down the hall, or an omnipotent deity in the sky?