OPINION & EDITORIAL
Merry ‘Santa-mas’ to you
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Andy Granias:
- Masculinity ideal in need of review (December 6, 2007)
- Legal prostitution: Logically sound, ultimately amoral (December 4, 2007)
- Merry 'Santa-mas' to you (November 29, 2007)
- Discovery highlights moral, scientific boundaries (November 27, 2007)
- Does race matter in sports world? (November 12, 2007)
Related Stories:
- MCSC needs to be more realistic (November 3, 2003)
- Tackling Taboos (December 3, 2007)
- The politics of lecture-hall seating (September 19, 2003)
- Rhetoric polarizes holiday season (December 6, 2005)
- "No-knock" policy risky (December 1, 2006)
by Andy Granias
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Every once and a while, a nonissue becomes so obnoxious, so rampantly annoying, that the sheer commotion of gripes and grumbles that emanate from the discussion are so prevalent that they warrant the issue actually be addressed — even if just to remind ourselves why we hated it so much in the first place. The "what should be said and done during the holiday season" debate is exactly one of these issues.
By introducing the "Christmas tree legislation" on Monday, Rep. Marlin Schneider, D-Wisconsin Rapids, resurrected the debate — with all of the familiar reasons and all of the faulty reasoning inherent in the "fight the war on Christmas" argument.
Mr. Schneider, however, did not explicitly make that argument. When stating why he was introducing the legislation, Mr. Schneider decided to use the stated reason, plain and (painfully) simple, that the tree's official title should be changed because "it is what it is."
It seems to me then that Mr. Schneider, and my colleague Ryan "miss no misnomer" Masse, have quite a tall task ahead of them. After all, we live in a world of titles and monikers that simply "aren't what they are."
The Capitol Square for instance is, shockingly, not actually a square. The fact that it does not have four right angles and four sides of perfectly equal length will certainly — if Mr. Schneider holds to his stated rationale — necessitate legislation to dub it "The Capitol Rectangle."
Additionally, the White House — although it has managed to correctly identify the National Christmas Tree as a Christmas tree — somehow overlooked correctly naming its very own wings. In reality, the East Wing is actually facing more southeast than due east. Likewise, the West Wing is more closely facing northwest than it is due west.
Certainly, then, if the Easter Egg Hunt is accurately named and the National Christmas Tree is as well, then the official titles of the wings of the White House — the most famous building in the country no less — must certainly be subjected to immediate reform legislation.
But in actuality, Mr. Schneider is not truly engaging in a vicious moniker-accuracy rampage, and no one actually cares that the West Wing is not perfectly facing due west. Instead, most people are able to read the writing on the wall and see this type of maneuver for what it really is — another step by Christian lawmakers to counteract a perceived "war on Christmas and Christianity."
Let's first be very clear on something: I am far from an active member of the PC Police, and rampant political correctness is certainly to blame for much of the obnoxious mood that permeates the holiday season. But this political correctness is not a war on Christmas, and it is certainly not a war on Christianity.
Some individuals, whether justified or not, feel offended when they see symbols of another religion or are hailed with the wrong holiday greeting. These people are indeed perfect examples of "political correctness run amok," as Mr. Masse has stated. And I loathe this debate, if for nothing else than the pure annoyance emanating from this type of person. But I am not the one to decide what offends other people, and if calling a Christmas tree a Holiday Tree appeases these people, then that is reason enough.
But this is not even the most compelling reason the Holiday Tree in the Capitol should remain labeled as such.
What many fail to realize is that there are two holidays in this country that are both labeled "Christmas." There is the holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ and there is the holiday that celebrates presents and reindeer and evergreen trees. One is religious and one is not.
So whether intentional or not, indeed the holiday that most Americans celebrate this time of year has nothing to do with the true Christian holiday of Christmas. There is no war on this holiday, only an overt celebration of an entirely different and secular holiday.
If our aim is accuracy, then no, the Easter Egg Hunt at the White House, or anywhere else, should not have Easter in the title at all. The death and resurrection of Jesus, if I can recall from my Sunday school teachers, had little to do with pastels or bunnies.
And if accuracy is our aim, then not a single tree, no matter how commonly it may be referred to as such, should ever be labeled a Christmas tree. The holiday that almost the entire population in the United States celebrates — the one with Frosty the Snowman, hot cocoa and evergreen trees — does not actually have anything to do with the birth of Jesus.
The latter holiday is accurately dubbed Christmas, and if there was an accurate symbol of it in the Capitol rotunda, there would be a manger scene, or possibly a 50-foot cross reaching toward the top of the Capitol dome. Certainly this type of symbol would accurately be labeled a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
But there isn't a religious symbol at the Capitol. There is only a tree, a tree that represents anything but the true meaning of Christmas. So while the term Christmas tree may be the most identifiable, it is certainly not the most accurate.
If we were looking for accuracy, we might simply call this generic, nonreligious, seasonal symbol a… Holiday Tree. If we're going to call it what it is.
Andy Granias (agranias@badgerherald.com) is a junior majoring in political science and legal studies.
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 5:06am):
what do you think Lauren Woods would say on this one Andy?
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 11:59am):
It sounds like someone forgot to celebrate Ramadan this year...
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 3:19pm):
Also in need of immediate revision:
All the campus buildings modestly named "halls" are clearly more than corridors-Bascom Edifice is a catchy alternative, for example.
State St. Brats must be presented with an ultimatum-either discontinue sales of non-brat items or include them in the title.
State Street Mall/Library Mall-suprisingly poor shopping, wouldn't you say?
Daily Cardinal-clearly should be the Daily Priest, or Daily Altar Boy, consistent with place in Madison paper hierarchy.
Big Ten-obviously
Mike Hahn-Mike Hoff (he'd be quieter)
Anonymous (November 29, 2007 @ 11:10pm):
To say that Easter has nothing to do with pastels or bunnies is just giving in to the vast conspiracy propagated by the Catholic Church, trying to hide the fact that St. Peter was, in reality, a rabbit.
Add a comment
We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.
Login...
Not registered? Sign up now.
It's quick, free, and the email address you provide will not be sold or solicited.
