This Week's Top Five Stories

Your weekly update of the most popular content from The Federalist. Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray [View this email in your browser]( 1. The First Thanksgiving Was Nothing Like What You Were Taught By John Daniel Davidson Most Americans were taught a cartoonish version of the first Thanksgiving, but the history of the Pilgrims and Indians was far more complex—and harrowing. --------------------------------------------------------------- Whether we realize it or not, we all have an image of the first Thanksgiving that’s more or less a cartoon we were taught in grade school. In the autumn of 1621, a plucky group of black-clad, buckle-shoed Pilgrims and stoic yet friendly Indians feasted together after a successful autumn harvest, heralding a promising new friendship between their two peoples. The actual history of the first Thanksgiving is of course nothing like the grade-school story—it’s far more interesting and complex. While it undermines the bowdlerized, multicultural narrative of peaceful Indians and well-meaning Puritans living together in harmony, it also informs a radically more nuanced understanding of the world the Pilgrims found when they landed at Plymouth in December 1620. [Full Article]( 2. Why Aren’t Any NFL Players Kneeling Over This Pennsylvania Cop Shooting? By Britt McHenry On November 17, a police officer was killed during a routine traffic stop in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. His name was Brian Shaw, and he was only 25 years old. According to reports, the suspect, 29-year-old Rahmael Sal Holt, fled his car after he was pulled over, and shot Shaw during the subsequent chase. Officials said Shaw did not appear to have fired his gun, while Holt fired at least six times, landing at least once in Shaw’s chest. Shaw lay in the street gasping for air before dying in a hospital that night. After several days on the lam, Holt was captured and arrested November 21 with Shaw’s handcuffs. [Full Article]( 3. Sex Scandals Reveal How The Left Uses Shame To Destroy Morality By Casey Chalk Shame, we are now told, is back in vogue, particularly if directed towards sexual harassment. Yet the Left has been appropriating shame to serve its ideological objectives for generations. --------------------------------------------------------------- “Name It. Shame it. Call it out.” Thus has actress Rose McGowan urged all those who have suffered sexual harassment and refrained from speaking out. With the #MeToo movement now in full throttle, individuals everywhere are coming out of the shadows to publicly humiliate sexual predators, no matter how high the pedestal upon which such harassers sit. Shame, we are now told, is back in vogue, particularly if it’s directed towards those deemed a threat to sexual consent. The truth, however, is that the Left has been appropriating shame to serve its ideological objectives for generations. The focus on sexual harassment — albeit long overdue — is yet the latest manifestation of liberals’ unprincipled approach to morality. [Full Article]( 4. How The Civil War Gave Us Today’s Thanksgiving, And What It Can Teach Us By Jayme Metzgar Our Thanksgiving celebration originated in our nation’s worst period of turmoil and bloodshed: the Civil War. Its lessons can help us today. --------------------------------------------------------------- This week, Americans will gather around kitchen and dining room tables from sea to shining sea for one of our most distinctly American celebrations. For generations, we’ve marked the fourth Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. At the end of this fractious year, coming together in gratitude may feel difficult. In a nation that seems to be fraying at the seams—battered by racial tensions, political turmoil, bloodshed, and scandal—exactly what do we have for which to corporately give thanks? [Full Article]( 5. Here’s The Most Insane Media Reactions To The Allegations Against Sen. Al Franken By Bre Payton After a news anchor accused Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) of sexually assaulting her in 2006, some of those in the press have reacted rather bizarrely. Here’s a list of the most insane responses yet. [Full Article]( Copyright © 2015 The Federalist, All rights reserved. You are receiving this e-mail because you opted in to receive e-mail updates from TheFederalist.com. Our mailing address is: The Federalist 8647 Richmond Highway Suite 618 Alexandria, VA 22309 [Add us to your address book]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( The Federalist · 8647 Richmond Highway · Suite 618 · Alexandria, VA 22309 · USA