Posted on 12/17/2001 2:04:26 AM PST by kattracks
Conflict may erupt again next year, but for now the war over poinsettias has come to an end in St. Paul.
Someone touched off hostilities by smuggling a few forbidden red poinsettias into the religion-free, non-Christmas decorations at Ramsey County Courthouse-St. Paul City Hall. The decorations consist of a world peace exhibit with doves and a 36-foot-tall Vision of Peace statue. Red poinsettias have been banned because they offended somebody who understood the flowers to be a Christian symbol.
After much bitterness, an uneasy compromise was reached: Red poinsettias are still banned, but white ones are allowed, since nobody in St. Paul seems to regard them as overly Christian.
Here we go again! The December war of religion is among our most cherished traditions. Somebody is always angry or hurt over something. But the type of battle is changing. The customary struggle has been over the role of the nativity scene on public property. The emphasis was on making the majority aware of minority sensibilities and the need to respect non-Christian religious expression. Now the battles increasingly involve minorities assaulting majority sensibilities.
Instead of just broadening Christmas displays to accommodate other traditions, the emphasis now is on trying to erase and disparage all mention of Christmas in the public square.
Pittsburgh invented the term "Sparkle Days" so no Pittsburgher would have to utter the controversial word "Christmas." Some schools and public institutions have banned the exchange of religious greeting cards and removed even the most secular trappings of Christmas.
In 1999, two 13-year-old girls at a middle school in Rochester, Minn., were suspended for wearing red and green scarves and saying "Merry Christmas" in a school video presentation.
The word "inclusion" comes up all the time as a term used by those who wish to obliterate rather than include. This is certainly so in Plainfield, Ill., where elementary school principal Sandy Niemiera made a startling announcement: Because of diversity concerns, students will no longer be allowed to celebrate any holidays at all. So goodbye to Valentine's Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving, as well as Christmas and Chanukah, because the school needs to "respect each individual's uniqueness but also to help us look for and celebrate those things that we have in common."
What the students will have in common, of course, is a sterile, tradition-free public environment. Plus the school-induced sense that religion and ritual are inherently dangerous.
There's another new wrinkle in inclusiveness ideology. Call it the sensitive person's veto. Last year, the city of Eugene, Ore., barred Christmas trees from public property, then backed down a bit and allowed firefighters to put up a tree on Christmas Eve and Christmas. But the city manager said that if one person objects, the tree must come down. This allows the most sensitive person in town to set policy.
Kensington, Md., banned Santa Claus from this year's tree-lighting ceremony because of two complaints.
The sensitive person's veto was born in the anti-smoking campaign and has spread to other fields. Now it's showing up in the wars over Christmas and Chanukah. Those who want to keep those traditions alive in the public square had better push back.
The sensitive person's veto requires only one vote to topple any norm. And that vote will always be easy to find.
E-mail: johnleo@usnews.com
This is an Editorial written by an American citizen, published in a local Newspaper. He did quite a job; didn't he?
IMMIGRANTS, NOT AMERICANS, MUST ADAPT
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Sept.11,we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Americans. However,the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct" crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.
I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to America. Our population is almost entirely comprised of descendants of immigrants. However,there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.
This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle.
This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles,trials,and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom. We speak ENGLISH,not Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian,or any other language.
Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!
"In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some Christian,right wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.
If Stars and Stripes offend you, or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change,and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle.
Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion and we will allow you every opportunity to do so. But, once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you to take advantage of one other great American freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.
Peace is 36 foot tall? What does Peace look like, anyway?
Visualize whirled peas.
How could they have ever imagined that intelligent self respecting people would ever buy into their self extinction nonsense??
"Our" media has has done much to injure this country. But then, most of them are DemocRATS, and that seems to be what DemocRATS do best.
During my high school and college days in St. Paul the smart alecks all wondered what those braves must have been smoking.
And to make it extra clear that they aren't celebrating Christmas, they should celebrate "Sparkle Days" at a completely different time of the year, say August 13 or something.
Then the rest of us can continue to celebrate Christmas on December 25.
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