As the smell of turkey, trimmings, and desserts fill the air while families gather around the tables adorned with pumpkin pies and delicious goodies, I find myself being grateful for so much!

Watching the Thanksgiving football games and listening to my friend Derek tell me the Lions are going to beat the Packers this year, seeing our family come together and love one another the way Mom always did, and simply reveling in the opportunity to call Santa Clarita, and America, our home!

Looking to form a more perfect union, America was founded on principles that transcended reliance on a government’s ability to redistribute, but on liberty, self-reliance, true access to opportunity, and the practice of faith that can be tethered by no man.

Generations of people have been afforded these blessings the idea of the United States bestowed upon its people.

Yet even sitting upon a foundation of liberty, we allow political difference to overshadow the joy of togetherness, to the point that we even ask our friends and family to silence their views at the dinner table, so we do not upset anyone.

This saddens me.

Why have we allowed ourselves to sacrifice civil discourse for forced silence?

This Thanksgiving I encourage everyone to bridge divides through decency, empathy and understanding while........

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