[BC] Merry Christmas!!!!

[Ernie Belanger]

Larry,

The strangest thing about what you have written is this.

I have never had someone wish me anything except a Merry Christmas or a 
generic half felt Happy Holiday.

Maybe I'm unique but it would not bother me at all if someone wished me a 
Happy Hanukkah,Solemn Ramadan, Joyous Kwanzaa or Peace Filled Diwali ."

I would consider it kind that they sincerely cared enough of me as a person 
to extent heart felt kind wishes. Verses the watered down "Happy Holidays".

I saw a news story the other night and apparently 85% of Americans Celebrate 
Christmas. So that said, I don't think it is intolerant to wish everyone a 
Merry Christmas Vs being politically correct.

Just think how much closer we might be as a country if we each wished each 
other the Joy or Peace or Solemnness of whatever Holiday we personal 
believed in Verses trying to make everyone fit into the generic humanists 
"Happy Holiday".

Wishing someone a greeting which is from the heart and based on whatever you 
believe should not offend but rather it should make each of us feel honored 
that the other person would think enough of us to want to wish us kind words 
and Spirit during the season.

On that note. I did a count this year. Of the 35 Stores My Wife and I 
shopped in for our family and friends. Clerks at the checkout in only 10 
whished us a Happy Anything. the other 25 went with Have a nice day or 
nothing at all.

Sadly  that is what happens in our attempts  to be politically correct. We 
so water down  the true Spirit of a Holiday (any Holiday) that it becomes 
meaningless or at best Generic  and the only joy remaining is that those who 
are offended by everything gloat at having the rest of us being drawn down 
the same path.

Think of that Apple Computer commercial for a minute.  All those grey 
dressed generic people on their PC's then in comes the breathe of fresh air 
as the giant  screen gets smashed and color enters the commercial. (you know 
the one)

That's what this country needs. A breath of fresh air where once again each 
individual can send greetings from their heart without the fear of offending 
anyone. A country where we are tolerant of our diversity and embrace the 
right of each of us to be the individuals we are.

And if our heart felt greetings  do offend, then it is the one who is 
offended who needs to rethink their mind set... since they obviously can not 
take the greeting in the Spirit in which is was meant Vs being offended 
because they are respected enough as a person for us to wish them the 
special Spirit of the season.

Ernie