MERRY POLITICAL CORRECTNESS DAY

The idea of being politically correct and not wanting to criticize or offend a certain class of people has led to nothing but silence. We have stopped discussing real problems and accepted an ideology of non-commitment. Our schools ban books despite their historical significance. Our colleges deny speakers that might upset a certain body of students. Our employers deny individuality and thought. Political correctness destroys true and valid discourse. It also eliminates truth.

It is that time of year when the most obvious and obnoxious display of political correctness occurs in America. Christmas! Each year I receive a message from my employer that if we choose to decorate our office we must leave out any type of religious expression that might offend our clients. The big stores direct their employees to say “Happy Holidays,” instead of those other words. Everywhere you go, the Christmas spirit grows dimmer and dimmer.

These organizations have not come down with these edicts out of any real sense of inclusion. They’re simply worried about the bottom line and not having a frivolous lawsuit lodged against them. They could not care less about the meaning of Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. They just want to make sure that no credit card goes unused.

Growing up, we would wish everyone a Merry Christmas and my Jewish friends would wish me a Happy Hanukkah. We learned about each other’s beliefs, tasted each other’s food and got yelled at by each other’s parents. A Happy Holiday was when you got the day off from school.

Do not deny your children their heritage or their family traditions out of fear of offending a stranger. That diminishes their beliefs and weakens our family and society. It doesn’t make everyone a big happy family. It sanitizes our interactions and our cultural expressions.

I happen to believe that wishing someone Merry Christmas is a wonderful way to include them in your heritage. It is a gift, not a challenge or a criticism. I am thrilled when someone wishes me Happy Hanukkah or a meaningful Kwanzaa. It means that they want to share the importance of their holiday with me. I’ve been told that it may be offensive to someone without religious beliefs. That is their problem. That is their lack of sensitivity to me.

Even without a religious belief, maybe it is good to celebrate that a baby born thousands of years ago into abject poverty, a sometimes-homeless immigrant who suffered discrimination and eventual death was able to change the world with a message of peace and love. That is cause for celebration no matter what you want to label the season.

                                                                  MERRY CHRISTMAS