Happy NARS Day!

Or "Thanksgiving," as most people call it. All that family gathering together and celebrating their thankfulness for stuff just like our ancestors (some of, anyway) were thankful that the Indians decided to feed them instead of kill them.

I understand the guilt angle, truly I do. Growing up in Blackfoot country, learning and understanding their culture, I realize how sad it is that the whole thing got trampled on and very nearly lost. I have a very specific way of dealing with that guilt. For me, the necessary thing is to watch an episode of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer called "Pangs" - the Thanksgiving episode. Willow does indeed get all huffy and guilty over the Indigenous People question, to which Spike says "Look, you won, they lost, get over it. Caesar did the same thing, but he didn't go around whining 'I came, I conqueored, I felt really bad about it.' You had better weapons and you won. End of story."

Besides, I don't see why I should feel guilty for something I didn't do. *grumble, grumble*

I know, it doesn't really work. Being white we have to feel guilty about killing Indians and enslaving blacks and destroying the atmosphere and all that wonderful stuff. But I liked Spike's pointing out the historical accuracy and even normality of the situation. He is right, technically.

And speaking of being right, there's another wonderful line from that episode that one simply cannot live without. It comes from Anya, of course.

Anya: Everyone loves a ritual sacrifice.
Buffy: Not really one of those.
Anya: Of course it is. To commemorate a past event, you kill and eat an animal. It's a ritual sacrifice. With pie.

You gotta love Anya, she tells it like it is. So I hope you all enjoyed our National Annual Ritual Sacrifice Day!