OK. OK. It’s early, but so are they. I’m sorry to start ranting on this already, but it has already come to me, and I’m sick of it.
The Politically Correct.
I guess that makes me a racist. I don’t feel like a racist, I’ll have to ask my friends (who come in all colors) about it.
Every year, you hear Bill O’ Reilly complain about it, and by the end of the year sometimes it’s tiresome. It’s not even Halloween, still well before Thanksgiving. Christmas hasn’t even kicked off yet, and here I am, beginning the rant. And this will probably not be the last time you hear about it.
Tonight as I’m sitting in my office, I hear my 9 nine year old begin to practice for her school choir’s “holiday program.”
Suddenly, I hear her break into , “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” but it wasn’t, it was;
We wish you happy holidays,
We wish you happy holidays,
We wish you happy holidays,
and a happy New Year.
You have to understand, I live in a very Jewish neighborhood. And that’s OK. I choose to live here. I love Jewish people. They believe in the same God I do, and try to live by the same 10 Commandments I do. I don’t have any problem with Jewish people, or any other people that live in a civilized respectful manner, but I don’t hear any Chanukah songs being modified to satisfy the Gentiles.
For me, the modification of this song, is much like, painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa. Perhaps a better example would be changing the words to the Star Spangled Banner.
Our country was founded on the basis of several issues, one of which, is freedom of religion. The founding Fathers were extremely generous with the provisions they allowed all citizens (and in this day, non-citizens) of the United States. Provisions and allowances many take for granted today, because they have not been educated in the cost of those freedoms.
There is, as I understand it, only one Catch-22 to the whole freedom of religion thing. Your religious practices must not be against the law, they must fall within the guidlines of our society. The case of Mormon polygamy is an excellent example. There have been a few special exemptions, like the use of Peyote by certain American Indians, but for the most part, accepted religious practices in the United States must fall within the law.
You are welcome to do your thing, as long as it doesn’t break the guidelines we have established to live here. I often think of the Thomas Paine quote,
“Your right to freedom of speech ends, when your fist hits my nose.”
I’d say the same thing applies to religion. This is a country founded with basic Christian fundamentals. Initially, persecuted for religious beliefs, our founders wanted to provide the freedom to worship without persecution, and they did.
You worship Satin? No problem, just don’t break any laws, and that means no human sacrifice, sorry. Oh, and by the way, we aren’t going to change any laws, songs, or basic constitutional beliefs to accommodate you, so if you can live with that, make yourself at home, go ahead and do your thing.
I think that’s pretty generous. I’d like to see you go anywhere and get that kind of freedom.
The problem, is the whole PC thing. We are adapting, apologizing, and attempting to pay a debt that can never be paid. Compromising our values, and the values of the brilliant men that founded our country.
As these subtle little changes occur, like the changes to the Christmas song above, the cement, that holds together the foundation stones of this country, decays and breaks apart, weakening the great and massive stones our fore-Fathers put in place, creating the greatest country in the world.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
I can’t help but wonder, what they will be singing in Camdenton this holiday season.
God bless America, and Merry Christmas.
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Brian this is fabulous, I am proud of you!
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