while in LA
i took advantage of the fact that my hotel left the LA paper at my door for free every AM to actually GASP read the paper every single day?!
what came shining through
by sifting through the big stories and the smaller ones
is this terribly frightenting waft of right wing activity sweeping the nation
in the name of Christmas
i read about the pastor who spurred on by the election urged his congregation to boycott all stores that say happy holidays instead of merry xmas
i read about how our own major in nyc took a pile of crap for wanting to say happy holidays instead of merry xmas
i read about the right wing leaders who said "if they want to put up Christmas decorations and get our Christmas money, then they need to acknowledge the birth of Christ!"
and on
and on
and on
so what about the nationwide boycotts of stores that dare to put up holiday decor during the 8 days of Chanukah and do not acknowlege
the Hebrew Maccabees for defending the temple of Jerusalem against the Syrians...?
These stores are not operating in a Christian only society!
Christmas is not the only holiday celebrated in this country in December.
It is simply not American to force private and public businesses to make a decision to aknowledge one religion over all others..
growing up Jewish in a Christian majority town in a Christian majority country
i always felt a bit sad and left out on Christmas
but i remember feeling a small pang of comfort
a little sign that I, too, mattered in December, when i would go to a store that also had a menorah in its window
or recieve a free gift that said happy holidays instead of merry xmas
yesterday was Christmas
but i celebrated it too
i went to the homes of loved ones on xmas eve
i went out to brunch and to the movies with another loved on xmas day
i, like millions of americans, found my own way to celebrate this holiday that does not reflect my religious belief but does reflect my need to share love with my many good friends and to be, somehow a part of this special time of year
so i say to the right wingers who in the name of their faith
want to shut down businesses that do not add religion to their store windows
what message are you really sending here?
are you telling this country that you only want to see your own religion honored
and no other?
are you letting us all know that you would rather see good people
go out of business
would rather see good non christians feel insulted
then to simply acknowlege the open-ness
and decency of a mom and pop store trying to make everyone included in christmas time
with their blinking sign "happy holidays"
talk about A SCROOGE!!!
