As we gather around the table at Thanksgiving, we may be among family and friends of different political persuasions. Coming off the heels of a presidential election can make discussions particularly tense. We hope the following topics and talking points will lead to constructive conversations that bridge the political divides across your table!
Daylight Savings Time
One of the more unifying issues across the political spectrum is the dislike of daylight savings time. Nobody enjoys the time change that messes with our “internal clock” — making it harder to wake up in the morning, being hungry too early in the day, and having to drive home from work at 5 p.m. in the dark. For moms, the time change is especially challenging because it throws off their children’s schedules, which they work so hard to maintain. Not to mention, studies have shown that heart attacks and car crashes increase right after we “fall back” to standard time. This practice is not only outdated — it’s dangerous!
Support for getting rid of daylight savings time has been a topic of conversation on both the state and federal levels. Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states that have successfully passed legislation to keep daylight savings time permanent. An additional 19 states have passed resolutions to support a federal law or, in some cases, if their neighboring states passed their own laws. The U.S. House and Senate have introduced the Sunshine Protection Act (H.R. 1279/S. 582) to “lock the clock.” The Senate passed this legislation in 2022, but it was never taken up in the House. It’s past time that both chambers work together to give us all the vitamin D we need!
Inflation
Whether you are hosting the big meal or simply a guest at someone else’s table, you realize that this year’s Thanksgiving meal was not cheap. Everyone can rally around a common enemy: inflation. Even though inflation is 5% below last year’s level, the bigger picture is not as optimistic. Inflation is still 19% higher than before the pandemic. Heritage Foundation reports that wages are almost 4% lower than in 2021 and credit card debt is up by 42%. Grocery retailers such as Target and Aldi have offered “inflation-free” pricing on their Thanksgiving goods. If you are feeling like your paycheck isn’t paying for as much as it used to, you likely won’t be the only one at the dinner table. No matter if your relatives think President Donald Trump can pull off a better economy or not, we can all hope that inflation continues to trend downward, and we can all joke about winning the lottery one day!
America’s 250th Birthday
We all love a good birthday party, and we are almost a year away from celebrating 250 years since the founding of the United States! This will be the time to showcase the American Dream and the heroes that allow us to enjoy our freedoms. President Trump has floated the idea of a year-long celebration titled the “Great American State Fair.” With this title, we can’t help but be taken back to the days when the World Fair was an exhibition of innovation both technologically and culturally. Similarly, our Founders created a nation — the first of its kind — where humanity could freely live and thrive.
In 2016, Congress created the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission which has been collecting stories from Americans of all ages and backgrounds, working with leaders to plan events across the nation, and brainstorming creative ways to show patriotism. While wondering about the future of our country under President Trump can send some liberals into a spiral, prefacing it first with something more unifying (like the semiquincentennial) can take the edge off. Thanksgiving dinner is a great time to thank God for our Country. Ask those at your table to share ideas about what they’d like the local community to do for America’s 250th birthday.
Gender Ideology
Gender ideology may be a topic that is hard to digest at Thanksgiving. However, when getting into the details of extreme gender ideology, you can find that most people agree.
In 2021, a Gallup poll found that 63% of Americans believe athletes should play on teams that match their biological sex. That number grew by 7 points when the survey was conducted two years later. Americans are seeing more men dominate women’s sports and the Left is not only championing that behavior but even bullying those into silence who raise concerns. The more that Americans witness this behavior and understand that no matter how many adjustments a man makes to his body to try to become a woman, the more that people on both sides of the aisle find that this behavior is unfair.
Perhaps even worse is the gender mutilation of children. Far too often, parents are being coerced into getting their child puberty blockers or invasive transgender surgeries because their child has expressed a desire to be a different sex. A Washington Post-KFF poll found that 68% of Americans opposed giving puberty blockers to children ages 10-14 and Rasmussen Reports found that 58% oppose a wider swath of gender transitioning procedures including hormone drugs and surgeries.
We can all agree that this is not a way to elevate women or protect children. Stripping women of their rights to privacy and speech is going backward. Mutilating minors is disgusting and inhumane. In fact, feminist and LGBT organizations are speaking out against it and actively supporting legislation banning these practices. You are likely to find some common ground here.
Regardless of political affiliation, every person around the table is a reflection of the American experience. While we may not always see eye-to-eye on our beliefs, the freedom to disagree is still a fundamental cornerstone of a nation’s success and one for which we all can be grateful. On Thanksgiving, Eagle Forum is thankful for the many blessings we all share — the ability to live in a country where we can freely worship God, raise our children, share our values, speak our minds, influence our government, and enjoy the bounty that is the result of the free enterprise system. We are grateful for all of you, our supporters. May your Thanksgiving be filled with joy and peace as we gather to thank God for His blessings and mercy on us and our nation.