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.
Froma Harrop is a Providence Journal columnist. Contact her by writing to fharrop@projo.com.
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