That Jolly Old Elf

The Christmas season is upon us once again, and once again we are going through the same old nonsense we have gone through for the past couple of years.

Everyone knows it is a CHRISTMAS tree, not a 'holiday' tree, not a Hanukkah bush nor an Allah aspen. Nativity scenes are so offensive that they must be taken down. What about what offends me? Oh, I forgot. I'm a white, heterosexual male, so I no longer have any rights. I can't rail about anything being called a bigot or a homophobe.

The Jews have their Hanukkah and Menorah. They have their Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, and nobody says anything about it. Some because they believe our society was founded on Christian-Judeo beliefs and others because they might be labeled Nazi war deniers. I don't care one way or the other. It's their holiday and their symbols and I say let them celebrate in peace.

The Africans have their Kwanza. This is still relatively new over here, but if they want it, they can have it. Again, let them celebrate in peace.

The Muslims have their Ramadan and they should be able to celebrate that in peace. Our schools go out of the way to provide them with prayer rooms, our government goes out of its way to provide them with Arabic speaking teachers so they don't have to learn English and wearing a veil to hide their identity is becoming a big issue once more.

So why do we have to be so tolerant of others who don't respect us? Christmas is our holiday. Let us celebrate it in peace. Don't tell me I can't have a Nativity scene on my front lawn because it might offend someone. Let them be offended. Don't tell me to call it a 'holiday' tree. I don't know what a 'holiday tree' is. I have a Christmas tree. Don't tell me to say 'Season's Greetings', I will stick with 'Merry Christmas'. If you wish me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanza, I won't get offended.

But I see in the paper that Europe is trying its best to catch up with us in the matter of being politically correct. Vienna, of all places, has put a ban on St Nicholas. Some say it is the influence of Muslims that no one wants to offend. The city council says it is a psychological move rather than a political one. Yeah, right.

The city fathers have somehow determined that seeing a bearded stranger handing out gifts on their doorsteps will scar, and scare, children into becoming axe murderers. First off, the worst person I can think of who came out of Austria was Hitler, and he was no axe murderer. A bit whacko, sure, but not an axe murderer. But Austria also gave us Mozart, so the argument is even. Second, on December 6^th, children in Austria and Germany write letters to St Nick, telling him what they want for Christmas and then stick the letter in a shoe, put it in a window and go to sleep hoping he will collect the letters overnight. So the bearded man on the doorstep will not be a stranger to them when he shows up, but rather a much anticipated, most welcome man who rewards the good little boys and girls and reminds those who were not so good to smarten up.

Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and other European countries lay claim to St Nicholas. In the UK he is called Father Christmas. This is not a about debate where the legend started or how it came to our shores. What is upsetting is the fact that in the heartland of the legend's beginnings, he is now banned. For psychological reasons? That is a bit hard to swallow.

When one looks at the nonsense the Muslims are creating in Spain, France, the UK and other places around the world it is easy to see that this whole thing is politically motivated. Not all Muslims are fanatics or suicide bombers, it's just that those fools get all the press. Perhaps, in order to prevent what has been happening in Paris, Vienna decided to bend over to Arabic pressure.

I say they should have told the terrorists to go to hell.