December 9, 2005
The First Family's Holiday Card
By Froma
Harrop
I'm neither surprised
nor upset that the president and first lady did not send me a
holiday card. Given what I've written this year, who can blame
them? Still, a card would have been appreciated, and I've received
none from this White House -- no "Merry Christmas,"
no "Happy Hannukah," no "Have a Nice Day."
The Bushes might
reconsider me for next year, because I'm about to defend them.
Anyone who tunes in to what passes for news hears the moronic
debate over the alleged war against Christmas. Political operatives
(disguised as religious conservatives) argue that people who say
"Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"
are trying to cleanse America of its Christian heritage. The villains
include liberals in government, politically correct retailers
and now even the Bush family.
The early Christians
confronted lions in the Coliseum. But these post-moderns find
martyrdom in hearing someone tell them "Seasons Greetings."
And why are these
"Christian" spokesmen going after George W. Bush, the
best friend they've ever had in the White House? Didn't the quote
from the lovely Psalm, "The Lord is my strength and shield,"
add enough of a religious element to the Bushes' card?
The answer is that
Bush's crime was not the words, but his failure to genuflect before
the "religious" activists. William Donohue of the Catholic
League and the other publicity hounds are everywhere, pumping
up the ludicrous idea that Christians in America are persecuted.
If Bush doesn't dance to their jingle, they appear weak. And besides,
what's a little stab in the back of an ally, when it gets you
on TV?
The White House has
responded with considerable dignity, noting that its "best
wishes for a holiday season of hope and happiness" intended
no offense to Christians. Rather, it was an effort to reflect
the diversity of the nation. I will add that it also serves the
national interest in winning the hearts and minds of Muslims in
Iraq.
Like many trumped-up
controversies, this one works off a grain of truth. To be sure,
the fear in recent years of making religious references in public
places has verged on silly. I, for one, feel a certain relief
at hearing House Speaker Dennis Hastert refer to the Christmas
tree as a Christmas tree, not a holiday tree, as in the recent
past.
However, the hesitation
to use explicitly religious symbols reflects more than a desire
for being "inclusive" or, in the case of government
property, not running afoul of the Constitution. It shows increased
sensitivity to devout Christians, who've become alarmed at the
commercialization of the religious observance. (The Puritans forbade
the celebration and made Christmas a workday.)
There's also the
desire not to misuse the symbols. In 1994, for example, Barneys
department store in New York put a creche in its window featuring
toy kittens as the religious figures. Local Catholics complained,
as well they should have, that the kittens trivialized the religious
significance of the Nativity. Barneys immediately removed the
scene.
Every calendar seems
to bring end-of-year unpleasantness. I try to avoid the fights
over decorations at town hall or what words are permissible in
the holiday songs at school. I say let common sense rule, and
if you have to draw lines, draw them generously, to allow personal
expression.
But these tantrums
over holiday greetings -- if you wish to take them seriously --
bring the nastiness to new levels. Young people are fighting in
Iraq, most of an American city has been ruined, and Christians
are truly being warred against in parts of Asia and the Middle
East. You'd think that the "defenders" of the faithful
would find more meaningful work than providing entertainment for
Fox News.
Well, there's only
one rational response to people who can't turn the other cheek
when someone wishes them a Happy Yuletide, rather than their preferred
greeting. It's to note that this is a free country, and they can
ride their resentments from Thanksgiving through Boxing Day, if
they choose to.
That the Bushes have
paid them no mind is to their credit. This thought alone won't
get me on their card list for next year. And they shouldn't bother
-- I'd last only until the next column. But for now, the first
family gets my applause.
Copyright
2005 Creators Syndicate
