On Saturday morning, while (mostly) women across the country woke up at the crack of dawn to beat the pre-Thanksgiving grocery store madness, NBC4Washington posted an Instagram video in which a young man opens a fridge, asking, “Well, there’s a lot of Thanksgiving food in here, but how much did it cost?” The answer, according to the American Farm Bureau’s 40th annual Thanksgiving survey, is $55.18 for a family of 10 — $3 less than last year. I screamed a precise amount at my phone, and it was not $55.18 — off by a decimal point.
I worked in restaurants long enough to know it is possible to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for $55.18. But this number fails to account for the labor, time, energy and emotional toll this and so many “family style” holidays put on the matriarchs of our households. Thanksgiving isn’t one meal; it’s a marathon of food, games, tailgate spreads, decor and morning-after brunches that women seamlessly make appear out of thin air.
So, what’s the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner? Next year, wives of men who take the holiday “magic” for granted should serve them $55 on a plate.
Alisa Bernard, Alexandria
The seeping price of sports gambling
Last year, we could bet on the U.S. election through political event contracts. It was an easy leap for these same financial platforms to offer sports event contracts.
These prediction markets are everywhere. Anyone over 18 can open a brokerage account and bet on almost anything. The largest sportsbooks, DraftKings and FanDuel, plan to offer event contracts, and even the president’s Truth Social platform is entering the space. And keep in mind prediction markets are available in states that have not legalized sports betting, like California and Texas.
Meanwhile, as Max Boot noted in his Nov. 18 op-ed, “Prop bets are ruining sports,” legalized sports betting is receiving new scrutiny, as scandals continue to emerge. Almost everyone is focusing on the wrong issues. Banning prop bets will simply result in moving them to the illegal market or offshore. Banning prediction markets will result in the same. The proverbial train has left the station.
Instead, focus is needed on clarifying the regulatory framework: If prediction contracts are financial derivatives, they belong under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. And they should come with warnings, like other financial options, that they are risky. Focus on protecting the integrity of games through increased enforcement against market manipulation and insider trading — and on improving support for those suffering from gambling addiction.
Melinda Roth, Washington
The price of excluding
In reading the Nov. 13 online news article “U.S. WWII cemetery in the Netherlands removes displays about Black troops,” I was struck by the phrase about Black service members “serving primarily in labor and support positions.” My father, Raymond E. Vickery Sr., was the executive officer of the 784th Tank Battalion, one of three tank battalions in World War II composed of White senior officers and Black junior officers and enlisted men.
Many White commanders considered Black soldiers not smart enough to operate and fight in the M4 Sherman tank. The men of the 784th and the other Black tank battalions proved them wrong. The 784th spearheaded the drive that liberated the city of Venlo, Netherlands, in February and early March 1945. According to the National WWII Museum, the 784th was considered “unstoppable” and lived up to its motto, “It Will Be Done.” Members of the 784th killed in action were buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. Shame on a Trump administration that would allow these displays about Black troops to be removed.
Raymond E. Vickery Jr., Vienna
I write as a Dutch citizen who grew up with a deep awareness of the American sacrifice that helped liberate my country in World War II. For nearly 80 years, the American Cemetery at Margraten has been viewed here not as a foreign military site but as sacred ground. More than 8,300 American service members lie there, and Dutch families have tended their graves with flowers, letters and remembrances that pass from parent to child. Margraten is not only a place where Americans are honored. It is also a place where Dutch identity, gratitude and freedom are anchored.
That is why the recent decision to remove interpretive panels recognizing the role of Black American soldiers has caused such sadness and confusion. The explanation offered, which described the removal as a routine rotation of educational material, may satisfy a procedural checklist, but it does not feel like a curatorial decision. It feels like a return to historical habits where some stories are recorded in marble and others in pencil.
Black Americans were not extras in the cast of Europe’s liberation. They were part of the force that made victory possible.
In the Netherlands, all American liberators are honored equally. We do not divide gratitude by race. Schoolchildren learn that the United States was vital to the defeat of Nazi Germany. The Dutch will continue to remember all American liberators. We ask only that the United States do the same.
Cees Steijger, Zeewolde, Netherlands
The hidden price of heroism
Following John Ficarra’s Nov. 11 op-ed, “My colleague at Mad magazine was a war hero. Who knew?” — and with Pearl Harbor Day coming up on Dec. 7 — Post Opinions wants to know: Did any friends, family members or colleagues turn out to be secret war heroes? How did you find out they were downplaying their personal history? Share your response, and it might be published in the letters to the editor section. wapo.st/war_hero
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