Thursday, December 13, 2007

Trying To Take The Reason Out Of The Season

From the folks who say we need more acceptance and diversity in our lives are trying to once again restrict the majority of Americans who celebrate Christmas.

Over in Dallas, Ga. the Washington, D.C.-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State want the mayor of the town to take down a neon light nativity scene that the town has put up for the second year in a row.

However, Mayor Boyd Austin said it best about the taking down of the reason why so many celebrate Christmas:

“I think without the birth of Christ, we wouldn’t have Christmas and I think this is the reason for the season and I think that the overwhelming silent majority of people will be heard on this and they’re going to say, ‘Leave it alone,’” Austin told Action News 2 in Atlanta.

The group is now considering legal action, which really boggles the mind. Just like it boggles the mind how many people want to call a Christmas tree a Holiday tree.

In Queen Creek, Az., the town’s Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony was rained out this year but the feud over the name of the festivity is still leaving a bad taste of fruitcake in many’s mouths.

One of the town’s councilmen feel that town sponsored events that involve taxpayer money should not have a religious theme. A wife of a former mayor of the town who donated the Christmas tree said she was sick and tired of the political correctness involved with the holly jolly holiday.

And who can blame her? We are supposed to be teaching our children about accepting other cultures and to support diversity, which is just fine but the people who seem to be the biggest supporters of all of this are usually the ones who want to restrict and takeaway Christmas.

And the usual reasons for all of this is because they don’t want people to feel left out who don’t celebrate Christmas or it somehow it crosses the line of the separation of church and state.

How about this? To the people who feel left out or don’t celebrate the day Jesus Christ was born, I say you can do one of two things: Either learn about the holiday and try to have some fun with it or just ignore it but don’t ruin it for the majority of people who do enjoy Christmas.

And to those who want to call it a holiday tree, go knock yourself out and call it that but don’t have a hissy fit when someone calls it by its proper name, a Christmas Tree. Because that’s what it is and you are not going to fool anyone into believing it’s something else.

I can shave off Santa’s beard and make him take Weight Watchers and call him Don Knotts but that doesn’t change the fact that the skinny guy in the red suit flying a team of reindeer is still good, old Saint Nick.

America is called the Great Melting Pot for a reason, because there are so many cultures that come together and create something very unique that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. Once you take away some important key ingredients in that melting pot, then you start to lose the taste that’s America.

The Times Observer wishes everyone a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas and a Happy Kwanzaa.

To read last year’s Christmas editorial, please click here.