CHRISTMAS IS CHRISTMAS
I'm not a soldier in the War on Christmas. I see no problem with "Happy Holidays" in certain situations. If the clerk at Target wants to wish me "Happy Holidays" I'll respond with a cheerful "Merry Christmas." No problem. I also would not send my Jewish or Baha'i friends a Christmas card.
However, I do find it the height of stupidity to try and completely erase any mention of the Christian Christmas from the public lexicon. Lowe's renaming Christmas Trees as "Holiday Trees" was stupid, as is labeling Christmas ornaments "holiday ornaments." What other holiday decorates trees? Anyone? Anyone? Exactly.
Now comes this whopper of "inclusive exclusion" from an elementary school in Wisconsin. From The Conservative Voice:
Ridgeway also seems to have a problem with the word "holiday" since the name of the school program where "Cold in the Night" will be sung is called the "Winter Program." GOPUSA reports that the school also has decorations representing a "La Befana" which is apparently a "Christmas Witch." The La Befana is an old woman from Italian legend that hands out candy to children hoping that one of them will be the Christ Child. Cool! Who knew there was such a thing? The school's decorations also include Santa Claus, Kwanzaa, and menorahs. Yet, nothing overtly Christian appears.
I have no problem with including Hannukah, Kwanzaa, the secular side of Christmas, or traditions from other cultures. But I do have a problem with intentional exclusion of Christianity.
Freedom Eden weighs in here.
Read John Leo's humorous take on the issue here.
However, I do find it the height of stupidity to try and completely erase any mention of the Christian Christmas from the public lexicon. Lowe's renaming Christmas Trees as "Holiday Trees" was stupid, as is labeling Christmas ornaments "holiday ornaments." What other holiday decorates trees? Anyone? Anyone? Exactly.
Now comes this whopper of "inclusive exclusion" from an elementary school in Wisconsin. From The Conservative Voice:
Ridgeway Elementary School in Wisconsin has announced that the words to the Christmas song "“Silent Night"” have been rewritten and that the new title is "“Cold in the Night"”. Some of the new lyrics include: "Cold in the night, no one in sight, winter winds whirl and bite, how I wish I were happy and warm, safe with my family out of the storm."No, no, no, no! People, once and for all, you cannot "include" by "excluding."
Ridgeway also seems to have a problem with the word "holiday" since the name of the school program where "Cold in the Night" will be sung is called the "Winter Program." GOPUSA reports that the school also has decorations representing a "La Befana" which is apparently a "Christmas Witch." The La Befana is an old woman from Italian legend that hands out candy to children hoping that one of them will be the Christ Child. Cool! Who knew there was such a thing? The school's decorations also include Santa Claus, Kwanzaa, and menorahs. Yet, nothing overtly Christian appears.
I have no problem with including Hannukah, Kwanzaa, the secular side of Christmas, or traditions from other cultures. But I do have a problem with intentional exclusion of Christianity.
Freedom Eden weighs in here.
Read John Leo's humorous take on the issue here.
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2 comments:
"you cannot "include" by "excluding."
But, ah, my dear, that is the heart of the inclusionary project. Inclusion is simply a cover for erasing whatever is seen as The Dominant Culture. In order to atone for its sins, The Dominant Culture (Christian, male, white, American, etc.) must be reduced to public invisibility --except when confession sins-- and hence into private and shameful domesticity.
The erasure of Christmas is not a fluke. It is the logic of the diverse-sensitive-inclusive project.
That has toe be the most repugnant perversion of a Christmas song I've ever seen. Are you sure that somebody actually did that? It's not just a vicious rumor?
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