Give thanks — don't pick fights

This week, American families will gather around the table to break bread, give thanks for their blessings, and take a respite from life's many distractions. There will be football games,

family gossip, and relaxation, although those who cook up turkey dinners and those who clean up afterward may not get too much of the latter.

For me, the holiday is an opportunity to thank the Lord for my family and friends. My son's in-laws adopted my wife and I years ago for the holidays, to use just one example of a blessing

for which I owe profound thanks. Most of our extended family lives almost 2,000 miles away from Minnesota, in California. I try to return the favor by refraining from talk of politics on

these occasions, which is not really that great of a sacrifice on my part, but for which I believe my adopted family is most thankful.

I'd bet that most people would agree that the holidays should focus on what brings us together rather than what divides us, even if the divisions are on necessary and significant policy

issues. That is, most people — except for the political activists to whom politics is the highest value in life. If there is one group of people who sorely need perspective, it's those

preparing talking points for their causes for Thanksgiving-table discussions.

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Edward Morrissey has been writing about politics since 2003 in his blog, Captain's Quarters, and now writes for HotAir.com. His columns have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York

Post, The New York Sun, the Washington Times, and other newspapers. Morrissey has a daily Internet talk show on politics and culture at Hot Air. Since 2004, Morrissey has had a weekend talk

radio show in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and often fills in as a guest on Salem Radio Network's nationally-syndicated shows. He lives in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota with his wife,

son and daughter-in-law, and his two granddaughters. Morrissey's new book, GOING RED, will be published by Crown Forum on April 5, 2016.