Every kid
in America liked Christmas a lot, but the Left, north of Politically
Correctville, did NOT.
While the
holiday season used to be one of peace, love, and joy, it seems that lately,
the politically correct set seems determined to crush every jingling bell under
the heel of their jackboots, particularly at colleges and universities across
the country. The Left is stealing Christmas just as certainly as anyGrinch in Whoville.
First, let me be clear.
I don’t
care if someone wishes me a merry Christmas or happy holidays. I am delighted
that they’re offering me any type of good wishes, regardless of how generic or
specific those wishes might be. I also understand that many of the traditions
we celebrate in America aren’t really “Christian” in origin. For example,
Christmas trees, Yule logs, and Santa all have origins in paganism.
But, in the United States, we have a traditional way of
celebrating. We put up lights. We decorate trees. We have Santa in every mall.
We make everything cheerful, festive, and beautiful to brighten up our winters.
But…cue dramatic music…not for much longer if the Left has their
way. Because the way we celebrate in America isn’t “inclusive” enough.
Colleges
are cracking down on Christmas
Be careful how you decorate, celebrate, and eat at these nine
universities across the country. Even Catholic Universities are trying to
straddle the razor blade of “inclusivity.”
1.
The College at Brockport, State University of New York, has
guidelines issued by the office of Interim Assistant Provost for
Diversity. (Let me digress for a moment: I finally found a job for people with
degrees that I previously believed were completely useless. They can be
Provosts for Diversity. Your tax dollars at work.) They offered this list of “inclusive”
strategies:
1. Before
scheduling meetings and special events check the calendar to make sure that
dates do not conflict with holidays such as Hanukah and Ramadan. Be flexible
and adjust schedules as needed.
2.Consider
religious dietary restrictions when planning parties. Ask your colleagues if
they have special needs.
3.Consider a
grab bag instead of a “Secret Santa” gift exchange.
4. Learn
about all the December holidays and the appropriate greetings for each.
5.Keep
decorations general and non-specific to any religion. Create a winter theme
with lights and color rather than religious icons, or include decorations from
all the cultural traditions represented in your department. Be sure to ask
everyone in the department to contribute to holiday decorating.
6. Acknowledge
multiple cultures by asking staff to share their holiday traditions at a “pot
luck” party.
7.The
holiday season should be considered an opportunity to demonstrate cultural
sensitivity and inclusivity by acknowledging multiple cultural traditions
rather than imposing or endorsing a single tradition on everyone.
2.
Missouri State University has provided a set of guidelines that excludes
more than Christmas. On that banned list there are Jewish symbols, Christian
symbols, and Islamic symbols.
3.
Harvard University is making things super easy by printing out a Social
Justice placemat so that all students can learn how to annoy the snot out of
their entire family when they go home for the holidays. (PS: They also have a
job for those liberal arts majors at the Office for Equity, Diversity, and
Inclusion.) Campus Reform reports:
The Office
for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Harvard University distributed what it
is calling “Holiday Placemats for Social Justice” on campus to help freshmen
students navigate difficult conversations when they return home for Christmas
break.
The placemat, a copy of which was
obtained by Campus Reform, offers students tips
for talking to their family members about controversial topics such as “Black Murders
in the Street,” “House Master Title,” and “Islamophobia/Refugees.” The
placemat, divided into four possible topics of conversation, provides students
with a series of sample questions they may encounter when they return home to
their families along with an acceptable response to each question.
Because, you know, nothing says “holiday celebration” like an
18-year-old discussing “black murders in the street” at Christmas dinner with
his family.
4,
Marquette University, a Catholic university, incidentally, has removed
any mention of the word “Christmas”in their tree-lighting ceremony
and discontinued the blessing and any mention of the Advent. One Marquette
professor objected to this on his blog:
That
“diversity” and “inclusion” require censoring and silencing all things
Christian is a typical attitude of the politically correct. Of course, this is
not “inclusive,” but rather exclusionary.
Genuine inclusion would mean
recognizing the diversity of religious beliefs and traditions. The National
Menorah, on public property just south of the White House, is an example.
If Muslim students at Marquette wanted to stage events to celebrate Ramadan
they would certainly be allowed to by Marquette (although Ramadan is usually in
the summer with few students around).
But
Christianity is different. Secular leftists don’t much like Christianity
5. Oregon
State University (who has an Office of Inclusion and Diversity for job
hunters with otherwise useless degrees) also offers helpful guidelines in a handy, printable, PDF format.
·
Use a collaborative process for staff input into department
decorating plans.
·
Respect an individual’s decision to not participate.
·
Focus decorations on the winter season by using images that are
not associated with religious traditions (e.g., snowflakes, snow sculptures,
sleds).
·
Remember that images that seem neutral to some may be
experienced as religious by others with different traditions.
·
Ensure that decorations reflect and are respectful of the
diversity of our university community.
·
Identify a specific period of time for the display of holiday
decorations.
·
Consider how efforts support and enhance the university’s values
and goals with regard to equity, inclusion, and diversity
6. Ohio
State University has removed the page with “inclusive” holiday guidelines,
stating:
The
content of the webpage referenced was an effort to help facilitate celebrating
holiday traditions of all faculty, staff and students. It is not a mandate or
university policy. To avoid misinterpretation or confusion, the webpage has
been removed.
Don’t
despair. Campus Reform reported on it before it was
taken down:
Students
and staff are encouraged to be “thoughtful in [their] decorating choices” at
Ohio State. Greenery, white lights, snowflakes and bows are deemed appropriate.
The school, however, would prefer they avoid the colors red and green to convey
an “inclusive holiday spirit.”
7.
Cornell University snuck their guidelines onto the bottom of their “Fire Safety Guidelines for Holiday Decorations.” However,
that page has been removed, so students must flail along on their own unless
they see the report on Campus Reform:
The
guideline first lists decorations that are consistent with the school’s
“commitment to diversity.” Among these items are snowflakes and trees decorated
with snowflakes.
Decorations
that are consistent with the school’s “assembly guidelines,” but should be a
“basis of dialogue” include bows, garland and lights, wreaths with bows, a
combination of snowflakes with Santa Claus figures and dreidels, and holly.
Decorations
that are consistent with the school’s “assembly guidelines,” but should
nonetheless be a “basis of dialogue” include bows, garland and lights, wreaths
with bows, a combination of snowflakes with Santa Claus figures and dreidels,
and holly.
8. The
University of Tennessee at Knoxville says that “Secret Santa”
exchanges are no longer cool, but generic and unfestive terms like “practical
joke exchanges” or “secret gift exchanges” are acceptable. They suggested that
employees of the university “ensure your holiday party is not a Christmas party
in disguise.”
The list
was removed after some of the Tennessee legislators called for the Chancellor of the school to resign.
9. The
University of Illinois offered a helpful Holiday Q&A. Here’s one of
the questions and answers:
Q: Aren’t you being too politically correct when you tell us to not
have a Christmas party? That’s a time when we get to socialize and feel good.
A: We have never said don’t have a Christmas party at your house. We
are speaking about the work environment where you have many people who do not
celebrate Christmas but celebrate other holidays. You can have a holiday party
or end of year party. You can even ask people to talk about any holidays they
celebrate this time of year. Before there was any consciousness around
appreciating differences we would hear from other employees who said they did
not feel comfortable participating or attending an office party that was just
for Christmas. Celebrations in the workplace are for everyone. Is it more
important to have a “Christmas” party at work which will make some people feel
excluded and valued less or to be able to have full participation and good will
that will last the year?
Can’t we
just celebrate without the Inclusivity Police peeing all over our Christmas
trees?
It may seem like this post is religious in nature, and that’s
not the case at all. It’s about the fact that we must bow to the whims of the
politically correct or be accused of racism or xenophobia.
I strenuously object to this cultural overhaul that supports the
“inclusivity” of everyone else’s traditions but crushes our own. Why must
Americans eradicate all vestiges of our own traditions to make other people
comfortable?
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2016/12/daisy-luther/left-stole-christmas/
