PEOPLE

Students at Washington Elementary School tell why Americans should be thankful and why they are thankful.

Lesley Teague: "Americans should be thankful for freedom. They should thank God that they don't have a country ruling them. I'm thankful for my mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, cousins, sister and brother."

Aaron Walker: "People should be thankful for freedom, a roof over their heads and money for their needs like food and transportation. I'm thankful for a family, money for food, and for a dog, and my sisters, too."

Rashida Wilson: "I'm thankful that I have food and have a loving family. I'm thankful that I'm still alive and I'm glad that Thanksgiving isn't that far away. I'm especially thankful that I'm an American. Everyone else who's an American should be too."

Brandy Davis: "Americans should be thankful for the Constitution and government, or America would be totally out of hand. It still is a little, but it could be a lot worse. I'm thankful for the school system so everyone that wants can have an education."

Laura Pavone: "They should be thankful for being alive, having a job, having food to eat and having a roof over their head. I am thankful for having really nice grandparents and relatives. I am thankful for having something to cover my head and something in my stomach."

Josh Jacob: "I think Americans should be thankful for living in a free country, and that we don't have to wait in a line to get in a store to get something to eat. I'm thankful for my family, my church, the house we live in and that we can afford a Thanksgiving dinner."