The Airing of Grievances

I do not want to wade hip-deep into the religious display debate that occurs every December; it is such a heated and emotional issue that it often causes the sanest of people to go off on flights of insanity. And, as often is the case with genuine disagreement in our country, the debate turns into a sad show of ignorance and intolerance by those who are most upset by the situation. However, I feel as though I need to make some kind of comment, since this element of Bill O'Reilly's "culture war" has hit very close to home -- Poughkeepsie and Hyde Park. So, going against my better judgement, here I go:

I don't care. I really and truly lack the capacity to give a damn about this issue. In all honesty, the idea of people taking the time to get all uppity over the placement of holiday symbols on "official" grounds baffles my mind. We have some real honest-to-goodness battles to fight in this country, and I don't think that bickering over this is a good use of our time, do you?

For the record, having been raised Catholic, I celebrate Christmas. However, I have close friends and family who celebrate Hanukkah, and I grew up with exposure to this holiday (as well as other Jewish holidays). In my eyes, the "holiday season" that is December isn't just about Christmas. I feel as though this month of the year has become one where people do their best to show their best, no matter what religion they do or do not subscribe to. It's a time of giving and being together and celebrating the good of life, and not forgetting that there are those who are not as fortunate as many of us. It's a time for people -- all people -- to come together, if only for a short time. And lest we forget, religion is about coming together and celebrating -- not arguing over a display, or using that display as a way to put others down.

As for the "church and state" argument that normally gets this whole thing started, the goal of the founders was to guard against a national religion, not to bar all displays of religion. I see very little connection between Hyde Park allowing a nativity scene on town property, and the U.S. Government decreeing that all citizens must be Christians.

But I personally would like to see more public displays of Festivus.