The war on Christmas

It's that time of year when Bill O'Reilly, Sarah Palin, and all of their cohorts in Right-Wingnutville get their knickers in a twist over what they call "the war on Christmas." For the rest of us, surrounded as we are by symbols of Christmas everywhere we go and perfect strangers wishing us a merry Christmas, this "war" looks a lot like peace, but you'll never convince those who peddle the war stories.

It turns out, though, that the war stories they constantly peddle on Fox News and in books like Palin's book, Good Tidings and Great Joy, are mostly pure bunk.

We had an example of that bunk in Texas just this week when State Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) held a press conference to crow about the bill he had introduced that had just become law. His law ensures that everyone in Texas has the right to say "Merry Christmas." Yes, the Texas legislature this year, with all the serious and real problems that this state has, took time to pass a law that we can all say "Merry Christmas" to each other. Not that anyone had been prevented from doing that before and even Bohac could not give any examples of this having occurred, but just in case, thanks to our noble legislators, our rights to give each other greetings of the season are now protected by law!

The idea that people are somehow prevented from saying "Merry Christmas" is just one of the myths that the purveyors of the idea of a war on Christmas promulgate in their annual fight to annihilate the warriors against Christmas. Some of the other myths were outlined in article in Salon.com today. They include:

"Public schools have banned the colors red and green." According to Salon, this one has been floating around the right-wing bubble for years and has now attained the status of "Religious Right urban legend." Of course, no one can offer any real evidence that this has happened - for the very good reason that it hasn't. But still, every year the old canard gets trotted out once again and gullible people believe it.

"Public schools can't recognize Christmas anymore." Of course they can, but public schools serve kids from many religious backgrounds and they must strive for balance and inclusion of all those traditions. To translate that need for inclusiveness into an idea that the schools can't recognize Christmas is just ridiculous.

"You can't use the term "Christmas tree" anymore or even display them in public." If this is true, why do I run into Christmas trees everywhere I go in public at this season? This particular myth, of course, does not recognize that the so-called "Christmas" tree is, in fact, of pagan origin, a tradition that was co-opted by Christians. (For that matter, the holiday itself is of pagan origin and was adopted by Christians as the date that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated, even though evidence indicates that the birth probably occurred in summer.)

"Cities and towns can't decorate for Christmas because someone will be offended." Same question again - if this is true, why do I see municipal seasonal decorations everywhere I go in December every year? But, again, as with public schools, these municipalities are home to people of many religious traditions and unless the governments of these places are completely tone deaf and indifferent to the sensibilities of their citizens, they will make an effort to include seasonal decorations of other groups besides Christians.

"Clerks in stores have been ordered to say 'Happy Holidays,' and store flyers and catalogs no longer mention the word 'Christmas.'" Again, stores that attempt to be inclusive of all their clientele may indeed instruct clerks to say "Happy Holidays." After all, how do they know whether you are Christian or if you celebrate Christmas or not? Are they supposed to ask first? "Happy Holidays" actually seems to me to be a very sensible way for such a business to greet their customers, but, of course, it is highly offensive to the rabid religious right which recognizes no holiday and no religious traditions except their own.

This is all such nonsense. Christmas is in no danger of being vanquished and obliterated from our calendars or our sensibilities. But Bill O'Reilly has to have something to rail against to keep those ratings up. At least while he's ranting about this, he can't be spreading more disinformation about the Affordable Care Act.

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...

Poetry Sunday: Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney

My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...

The Nature of Things

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