The media had a big laugh when President Trump jokingly said during a Nevada campaign rally that if Joe Biden is elected, he just might just cancel Christmas.

You will recall that President Trump often spoke up for saying “Merry Christmas,” rather than Happy Holidays.  Commentator Bill O’Reilly was a big advocate in support of it on television.

That may not be so far-fetched.

Americans are now being told not to have family gatherings for Thanksgiving as a Covid-19 caution, as they were previously told when planning weddings, birthdays and graduations. Those in authority are seemingly seeking out events they can cancel.

There was even an attempt to cancel the annual Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery due to the pandemic, however, President Trump intervened and Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy thankfully stepped in and reversed the cancellation order.

Although volunteers who place the wreaths could wear masks and practice distancing as they place the wreaths, it was announced on Tuesday that after numerous consultations with health and local government officials, and Wreaths Across America leadership, that they could not “envision a way to safely accommodate the number of visitors who typically host this event.”

It would have been a disgrace if the wreath placements had not been permitted.

What if our brave warriors, who sacrificed their lives in wars around the world, decided they could not “safely” fight for our freedoms.

Placing wreaths at Arlington grave makers began in 1992, and more than a quarter of a million wreaths were placed there last year.

Back to Thanksgiving, and those forbidden gatherings of family and friends.

Months ago, when we were weighing the importance of restoring our economy, while the threat of the virus still loomed, I recall writing about our ability to use our judgement regarding our activities while following the CDC’s mask, distancing and hygiene guidelines.

I wrote of Attorney General Bill Barr referring to the heavy restrictions placed on citizens in some states as the “greatest intrusion of our civil liberties.”

I believe thoughtful Americans can and will gather with loved ones over Thanksgiving while practicing those same guidelines despite the threat of lawbreaking.  Incidentally, several sheriffs in New York have indicated that they do not intend to enforce the anti-Thanksgiving gathering order.

Writing in Townhall, Bill Murchison recently commented that there “could be the feeling there’s less and less for which to be thankful,” especially after experiencing a contentious election, but Thanksgiving affords us with an occasion to celebrate what we can be thankful, including the liberties we enjoy.  Celebrations may not resemble the gatherings as depicted by Norman Rockwell, but are important to our well-being.

Preparation for the celebration of Christmas begins earlier every year as witnessed by the Christmas trees and decorations for sale at Costco weeks before Halloween.

We’ve been told that the annual Macy’s parade in New York will be a virtual event.  I can hardly wait.

Will some governors continue their practice of controlling the numbers of people who can go to church as our nation celebrates the true meaning of Christmas?

Will Joe Biden, who says he will follow science, discourage the singing of carols because of the National Institutes of Health study of droplets that remain in the air with loud speaking? 

Then there’s those New Year’s Eve celebrations.  We know that New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio has already cancelled the reverie in Times Square.  Will liberal Flagstaff, Arizona cancel the dropping of the Pine Cone at the corner Weatherford Hotel?

                                              Looking Ahead to 2021

Should Biden be declared president, my imagination of what Inauguration Day might look like has gone beyond belief.  Will he mandate the wearing of masks nation-wide?   

Will Washington DC be in lockdown?  Or will Biden declare that on January 21?  Will there be a Plexiglas panel between Biden and the chief justice when he takes the oath?  Will Joe dare remove his mask for that moment?  Will the media be confined to those circles on the ground? Forget the parade, and those parties and balls in the nation’s capital.

Thanks to President Trump’s early decision to expedite development of a vaccine by a number of pharmaceutical firms, we now have two with 95 percent effectiveness nearly ready to distribute.

But they’re no silver bullet.  Consider that less than half of the population took advantage of flu shots in the 2018-2019 flu season and only slightly more than half have indicated they will get the shot this year. 

Similarly, surveys show that just 56 percent of the population would choose to take the vaccine, leaving millions of people who will choose the freedom not to take it. 

We should continue to practice virus protection measures, but at the same time express the freedom to say ‘enough’ to those who would cancel our way of life.

Perhaps there’s some solace that can be derived from a survey released by the Ohio State University, revealing that 40 percent of U.S. residents plan to participate in gatherings of 10 or more people. 

Watch for my future commentaries.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.