Americans have a problem.
We have lots, really, but if I had to pick the single-most detrimental one, it’s this: Identifying the enemy.
The evidence is all around us.
Think about it:
“A bunch of privileged Saudis with U.S. Embassy ties led by a stripper-loving hard-partying Egyptian playboy bought first-class plane tickets with money from Pakistan’s secret service and crashed passenger jets into the WTC, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.
In retaliation, the Bush Administration attacked some fanatic goat herders in Afghanistan and then began an occupation of Iraq that’s already lasted four bloody years.” (Excellent summary by Wonkette)
But that was yestrerday’s war. I’m talking about today’s war – the War on Christmas.
Oh yes, it’s real enough. All over the country, people are revolting against the only religious holiday that’s also a federal holiday. And who’s to blame? Liberals? The Media? Montgomery Ward?
Nope, it’s the Christians. That’s right, the Christians.
Not all of the Christians, mind you, just the loony ones, like this one. And this one. And of, course, this one.
For decades, Americans were able to stroll down the avenues of their bustling downtowns and wish one another a hearty “Merry Christmas,” without offending anyone. If you were Jewish, Muslim, Buudhist, Hindu or Atheist, it didn’t really matter – it was an expression of peace and goodwill.
Then the religious right came along and ruined everything.
The 70’s brought Pat Robertson and the Bakkers into the public eye, trying to cram Jesus down everyone’s throats: “This is a Christian country, it’s founded by Christians.” Sound familiar?
As part of that, the wrestled Christmas away from the world to hog it for themselves. To be fair, it is their holiday. But if there was ever a universal time of peace and goodwill, it was Christmas. But the tight right wouldn’t stand for that, and like everything else, they’ve turned something that brought the world together into a divisive issue with “Merry Christmas” as its battle cry.
Since Christmas is “for Christians only,” the rest of us, sadly, have only two options: Abandon the holiday season altogether or adapt, by adopting a more universal approach. And, as such, we are the ones viewed as the enemy.
Wrong again.
