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Date Posted: 07:30:10 12/01/05 Thu
Author: Chuck in ND
Subject: You're almost right
In reply to: Bembix 's message, "My guess is . . ." on 16:53:10 11/29/05 Tue

We're chipping away at the ice. We had an ice storm--covered everything with 1" or more of ice, including power lines, so we were without power for 3 days! Fortunately R could be home for the 1st day--when generators needed starting, emergency plans started up--and the 3rd day--when I was about to lose my mind with THREE MISERABLE DAYS of no power!

Cooking over a wood stove is fun for FHE. Candles are fun for Christmas and special dinners. But after a while all that gets really OLD.

OK, enough complaining. We were blessed because we were prepared. There were lots of people barely managing, families with young children who had no heat source, no way to cook their food. There were people on the radio wanting to buy a generator, any generator, if someone would sell to them. And we DO have power back--some won't have it for another week-10 days. I have never enjoyed turning on a light switch so much as I did last night. And a hot shower. Lights and hot water, the true sign of civilization.

Christmas--yes, interesting issue. I guess I just don't understand why everyone says it's so exclusionary. I lived in Brazil and Portugal. Carnival was pretty wild, with some displays that were very foreign to me. Portugal walks, breaths, seeps Catholicism. I never felt "excluded" just because I don't share in all the Catholic (or Carnival) practices, customs, beliefs. In fact I felt enriched by them. OK, maybe someone will say Catholicism isn't "alien" enough, after all it's still Christianity.

Last week the Pres. of the Historical Board defended the change (to Holidays on the Prairie) saying "It's just semantics" It's just a WORD. We're still honoring all the Christmas traditions (and as it turns out, she's right. Except for the addition of the Native American Indian demonstrations and deleting a couple of the Christian displays, it's pretty much the same as it ever was. They couldn't get any of the other ethnic groups to participate. They couldn't get the Jewish community to participate because (LOL--how's this for ethnic sensitivity?) the event is held on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath!)

Anyway, she says "It's just a WORD, the spirit and celebration is just the same, so why are you all upset about a word?" Well, yes, there's the rub. What she's really saying is "Why are all you CHRISTIANS upset, because the non-Christians are just happy" IOW, the non-Christians have every right to get upset about the word Christmas but the non-Christians shouldn't be so attached to a word central to their beliefs.

The tolerance needs to go both ways. Unfortunately I don't see it happening.

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