Happy New Year…is that politically correct?

Kerry Marsala

Ah, another season of madness has passed. Our belts have been loosened- as our girth spreads and flops over our pants. The garbage can is full of politically correct wrapping paper and boxes. Bright colored ribbons bounce over the edges of our garbage cans- as the refuge containers line our neighborhood curbs- awaiting their garbage day pick-up. The refrigerators are filled with leftovers and our ovens are in desperate need of cleaning. Our closets and garages hold the over abundance of unneeded wants and desires. Smartly, we’ve scheduled our community second hand store pick-up to arrive soon, so that we might unload the undesirable gifts received and pass on the toys, electronics and tight fitting clothing on to a needier person or persons. We’ve already scavenged the malls for after “season” sales and returned the hideous tie Uncle George and Aunt Martha sent.

Life is good here in America.

It is now a few days before a new year begins for us. With the political correctness of the elites running amok I am not sure whether saying “Happy New Year” would be acceptable or politically correct. After all that wouldn’t be recognizing so many other nationalities and their new year…now would it? How about “Happy anytime or place you wish to be in this space time continuum?” Would that satisfy? Doubt it.

There have been many commentaries on the ridiculousness of the radical secularist who are trying to demean anything that sounds remotely “religious.” I never dreamed in my lifetime that saying the words “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Chanukah” could be made to sound like a dirty curse word. (Amazingly enough though a student can tell their teacher at our public schools to go f*** themselves and only receive a timid reprimand from our bound and gagged education administration.)

Strange all the times I was walking around the malls and hearing holiday music and seeing the mall Christmas tree it never moved anyone around me into a conversion of Christianity. I thought with all the hubbub being made over nativities, Christmas songs, trees, Menorah’s, ten commandments etc… that someone was bound to be hit by the uncontrollable urge to run through the mall and scream “I’ve been born again against my will!” or to begin their conversion towards Judaism, yelling in Yiddish- “ Where’s the nearest Kosher deli! I’m in serious need of some matzo balls and gefilte fish!” Come on people, honestly have you ever seen anyone being forced to convert by a large brightly decorated tree at the mall? When was the last time a Menorah forced anyone to become a Jew? Does the crescent and star symbols of Islam drive you to want to become Muslim? Does a little happy Buddha statue sold at your local floral section in the grocery store coerce you to become Buddhist? The only thing a pine tree decorated with lights should really do to anyone is convert them back to paganism since this is where the holiday season of Christmas originated from. It was those darn Catholics who “Christianized” the celebrating of the Winter Solstice by those pagan Druids and others, so they could feel good about merging two religions into one (the merchants who wanted to make money were probably a part of this evil plot too). So wouldn’t you think that the secularists would be all for this? Pagan day on the 25th of December, the elves would fit right in- wouldn’t they?

Really it seems to me every year the only god that gets worshiped during this season, by a large portion of the population, is the god of excess. Too much food, too much drink, too much material garbage that satisfies our longings for maybe thirty days at the most before we want bigger and better. Now I am not saying that there are not those of you out there who truly feel a burning in your bosom of gratitude for the birth of Christ, nor those of you who truly appreciate the meaning of Chanukah- but overall do we not attach too much materialism to this time of year? Why can’t the concerned secularists lobby our courts over the excess of the gimme, gimmes? If they truly are that concerned over the indoctrination of our nation- the religion of gluttony should be a major cause for those who haven’t anything better to do with their time than push their agenda of wanting to take away our freedoms.

Forgive me if I just don’t understand your fears secularists (and I am sure there will those of you who will email and explain to me my stupidity for not seeing the evils of moral Judeo-Christian ethics). Our founding fathers based so much of whom we are as a people and a nation on the ethics and principals found within…the Bible… The founders didn’t want a state run religion such as the one they had left in England, shoot I’d say we all can agree to that. No one wants one religion dictating to them, but the basis of our society cannot be denied. The secularists fear our foundation, they fear our base, and they fear our cornerstone. Secularists and those of you who agree with them, you are welcome to leave and live anywhere else in this world. You are free to find those who oppose our desired form of established government. Join their country and live with those you are likeminded with. Support those countries with your tax dollars, build your business’ there, and live among those who agree with your interpretation of how you think a country should work, but leave America alone. We happen to like the way our founding fathers established her. We like the fact that we believe that we have been endowed by a Creator and we like to recognize the one we honor and give gratitude to freely…because we are free in this country to do so. Just like anyone else who lives here. We may freely recognize our deity by signs, symbols, banners and such like. The only real threat to freedom comes from radicals who want to suppress those who want the right to be free to express their beliefs- uninhibited by those who wish to squash freedom of religion (not from religion).

Get a grip. A pine tree, a candlestick, a flag, a statue, a light, a birth scene, nor a jolly fat little red–suited old man hasn’t caused near as much confusion, sadness or chaos’s as has the secularists who don’t want little Tommy to sing “O Come All Ye Faithful” or “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel …” at his school, outside the public courthouse or even listening to it at the mall. Heaven forbid Tommy, should ever say- “Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah” as he hands back the lady, who just purchased 385.00 dollars worth of plastic encased electronic toys, on her over abused credit card.

This is the United States, and Christmas and Chanukah have now passed- so take this you secularist hum bugs! Happy New Year, Happy Valentines Day, Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Happy Yom Kippur and Happy or Merry anything else to anyone who loves freedom and wants to celebrate with their family, friends and loved ones their special holidays. Let the songs ring through our stores, let the words of celebration and elation flow from the merchants smiling lips, let the children enjoy happiness and the magic that comes with every season here in the United States. Let us enjoy our freedoms to celebrate publicly and privately our own special dates, times and hours. Giving honor and respect to all celebrations.

Wishing all of you a most peaceful and joyous of New Years. Be happy we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave- Happy New Year America! There now, that is the only appropriate and correct way to say it.

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K L. Marsala is a commentator on social, cultural and political ideologies. She is co-publisher of Sarah's Seed Journal and has published one book, with number two waiting in the wings. Ms. Marsala tries to use a bit of satire every now and then in her writing. She has been praised by many of her readers for saying it "like it is" and speaks for the common person who believes in American ideals, especially our freedoms. Stating the way she sees it with "punch," her philosophy remains that no matter the event, you can always find a bit of humor or the human element of hope somewhere amongst the cracks. Ms. Marsala holds a master's degree in ancient history and Biblical studies. She is currently working on her degree in bio-ethics and political science. You can visit her web-site for archived and current articles: http://www.right2think.8m.com

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