OK, so does anyone else think that this never ending debate over the use of the word Christmas versus Holiday is honestly starting to get a little bit out of hand? Because I do. For example, over the past few weeks in this country, governments at both the national and state level have been disputing over whether lighted trees on government property should be dubbed Christmas trees, or the more politically correct and inclusive, Holiday trees. And now, conservative Christians who received a greeting card from the White House this December are miffed because the card wishes them a happy holiday season, rather than referring to Christmas.

One side argues that the reference to the holidays, rather than Christmas is not only religious censorship, but also that it is nothing but political correctness "run amok." Dennis Hastert, who pushed for the renaming of the "Capitol Holiday Tree" to the "Capitol Christmas Tree," stated that he did so because "it is important to reflect what Americans call their trees, which are Christmas trees." However, the other side, states that the use of holiday, rather than Christmas, shows a basic respect for those of all ethnic and religious backgrounds, as using the word Christmas serves to exclude people of other faith. And this past week right here in Madison, our Wisconsin state Legislature jumped into the fray, when 46 state legislators made a request to Gov. Doyle that the name of the Capitol Holiday Tree be changed to Christmas Tree. State Rep Scott Suder even went so far as to say that the tree is "in the Capitol to celebrate Christ's birthday" and challenged anyone with lawsuits regarding the name change to "bring it on." So the question is, who's right in this argument? Should trees set up and decorated on government properties, be referred to as Christmas trees, or should we use the more neutral word, holiday out of sensitivity to all Americans, regardless of background? I myself am torn on this so-called cultural "war" over Christmas. As someone who celebrates the holiday, it frequently irritates me to no end that I can't refer to Christmas at all without offending someone or having my head bitten off. However, on the other hand, I also recognize that America is country of all faiths, and that it is important to keep public property neutral so that we do not push the faith of the majority into the faces of the people who do not embrace that faith. Although, whenever I hear or read about government involvement in this war over Christmas, I ask myself an entirely different question: don't our public officials have more important things to worry about other than squabbling over what to call a tree that will only be displayed a couple of months out of the year?

Lately, I've gotten more annoyed that our government and other groups are spending so much time warring over this Christmas — rather than discussing more important issues — than I do at the use of holiday rather than Christmas. Maybe instead of wasting time fighting over Christmas and holiday trees, the government should tackle some of the important issues that our country faces today. How about the fact that an estimated 35.9 percent Americans live in poverty, of which 15 million are children? Or that an estimated 45 million in American have no health-care insurance? In fact, maybe instead of focusing their attention on the war over Christmas, the federal government should focus on the war in Iraq, which is costing Americans billions of dollars and thousands of lives. And it doesn't just stop there. I could go on and on about the numerous issues that the government could be tackling and solving while they are spending time disputing over what to call a tree.

In addition, maybe all the groups that have taken issue with the representation of Christmas in the public should also focus their attention on other problematic aspects that threaten the holiday. For example, maybe they should address the fact that for many Americans, the Christmas season has become less about the celebration of the birth of Christ within church and with their families, and more about shopping and materialism. It seems to me that the crass materialistic mentality towards the holiday season that many Americans exhibit threatens the spirit of the Christmas much more than how we refer to the holiday and its symbols within government institutions.

That being said, there will probably never be any real resolution to the ongoing controversy over Christmas and other religious holidays. One side will always push for the recognition of Christmas, the other will continue to push for distance the reference to religion in public places and those in the middle will continue to be torn. However, there is one aspect of this issue that I'm not torn on: our federal and state governments need to honestly get a reality check, get their priorities straight and realize that the time they spend debating Christmas could be better spent resolving a myriad of complicated issues that our country and the state of Wisconsin face. Happy Holidays.

Janell Wise ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science and journalism.