Christmas in Colorado

Today's Denver Post went into painful detail in a controversy over whether a float depicting a Nativity scene could be in the Parade of Lights.

Now first let me simply state I don't care whether you call the American festival of consumeristic and gastronomical excess Christmas, Holidays, Hannukah, Festivus or simply a day off with pay. The holiday, a Christian adaptation of a Celtic winter festival, has so little to do with religion or the man it's named after I really don't care to celebrate it at all. I honor Christ and his teachings and the day I see James Dobson selling all his riches and giving them to the poor and Pat Robertson in contrition for his advocating murder, I'll begin to believe they're sincere about the holiday.

As nearly as I can determine from the Denver Post's article, no one cares about the float except those building it. Agitating the base by insinuating the left is anti-Christ is a great way to generate donations. It's easy to do, there are a few athiests out there agitating and the Right would love to attach that label to all of us on the more liberal side of the political spectrum. In a similar vein, I got an e-mail from a cousin in Kentucky last night showing a group of Marines with bowed heads, possibly praying but there's no way to tell from the picture. The accompanying text claimed the ACLU was sueing to prevent public prayer by the Marines since they're technically Government employees. A quick check of Google revealed urban legend - neither the ACLU representative or the Marine commander cited in the clever little work of fiction exist nor has the ACLU ever sued to restrict public prayer among Government employees. Reading the rebuttal I thought, what a clever way to agitate against the left.

See, there's a belief among the Right that all of us Lefties are against any intrusion of religion into public life. I couldn't agree less. The sight of a creche on public property doesn't set me off, nor does "merry Christmas" in lights on the public square make me grit my teeth. I can't remember the last time I read a dollar bill or the fine print on a coin. It's a non-issue. Making it an issue serves those who would have us believe they're the victims.