WHEREAS: The Minnesota Constitution begins, “We the people of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings and secure the same to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution”; and
WHEREAS: We have much to be thankful for in this past year, including:
The bounty of Minnesota's land and the hard work of our farm families that put food on the tables of the nation and the world;
The progress of science, productivity, and learning in our state;
The continuing service of our military men and women, public safety personnel, and their families, and we remember those who gave their lives to protect us this year; and
WHEREAS: We have endured common tragedies this past year, including:
Flooding in Western and Southeastern Minnesota and severe drought conditions in many other areas of the state;
Forest fires in Northeastern Minnesota;
I-35W bridge collapse which claimed 13 lives and injured many; and
WHEREAS: We are thankful for the giving, resilient spirit of our people, who, like generations of Minnesotans before us, have come together to extend the blessings of freedom to an every expanding community; and
WHEREAS: We go forward in the spirit of President Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863, observing Thanksgiving as a day to “heal the wounds of the nation and to restore… peace, harmony, tranquility and union.”
NOW, THEREFORE, I, TIM PAWLENTY, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 22, 2007, to be: THANKSGIVING DAY in the State of Minnesota, as a time to enjoy family togetherness and the bounty of our land, to give thanks for our many blessings, and to recommit ourselves to the unfinished business of our democracy. On this day, I urge all Minnesotans who are so inclined and inspired to pray that we can come together, in spite of our differences, to build a state and a nation of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.
