The Phony War

From MSNBC

Merry Christmas? Happy Holidays? I don't really have a preference. I stick to the "holidays" greeting more because it incorporates the New Year than because of any religious observance. If someone wishes me a Merry Christmas, they shouldn't have to worry about offending me if by chance I'm not a Christian. Christmas has been the dominant holiday, and our very secular retail landscape guarantees that fact for years to come. Nonetheless, Fox News claims every year that there is a "War on Christmas" led by the crowd Bill O'Reilly calls the "secularists". Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee found himself on the receiving end of Fox News criticism when he referred to the state "holiday tree". I agree that this is a bit too politically correct even for my left of center leanings. It's a Christmas tree, for cryin' out loud! While Fox and company pounced on the governor with the idea that the state was distancing itself too much from a ceremony based on Christianity, one Providence radio host who said he was Jewish suggested the state should just step aside and let the private sector sponsor whatever religiously connected symbolism they want. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams as a place for religious tolerance. Maybe the state should separate itself from something the church and private enterprise are perfectly capable of handling. On Capitol Hill in DC, congressmen can take a break from lighting Christmas trees and stay with the business of giving us all a Christmas present: avoiding the looming fiscal cliff.