Read the following article about the latest controversy regarding the holiday season.
Write a thoughtful response below.
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/providence/providence-tree-feud-to-be-brought-to-light?hpt=us_bn4
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17 comments:
This argument is irrelevant; a “Christmas” tree is a sign of Christmas, that’s it. That’s like calling a Menorah a “Holiday Candle”, simply stupid. A non decorated pine tree is a pine a tree, still not a Holiday tree. What makes this so ridiculous is that the pine tree is decorated, making it associated with Christmas. When you think of a decorated tree, what comes to mind? Is it Christmas, or All holidays encompassed in this season? Exactly, Christmas and that is it. Kwanza, Chanukah, and New Years have nothing to do with trees. Jewish people and other religiously affiliated people, who have their own believes in which they decided to pursue in America, need to understand that it is a sign of Christmas, and to not take offense to it. Here in the United States of America, 95% of the people celebrate Christmas. Sorry to the small percentage of the other 5% who are offended to not be involved in a Christmas tree, while they are celebrating their holiday.
The whole holiday naming controversy is ridiculous. Aren’t there more important issues to deal with than what we should be calling Christmas trees? Oh, I mean Holiday trees. Since people are making a big deal out of this tree name, it should just be called a Christmas tree. Do we call menorahs holiday candles? No we don’t, and we shouldn’t because that is just stupid to do. People shouldn’t be offended by what we call our holiday signs or traditions. Everyone should just worry about themselves and stop crashing Christmas tree lightings and tearing down holiday signs because it all doesn’t even matter. Go make your own sign if you’re unhappy with one you saw or light your own tree and name it whatever you want.
A Christmas tree is a Christmas tree. If you think someone’s going to be offended by it, then don't mention it. It's always been there. By calling it a holiday tree, you’re still referencing the only holiday that uses a tree: Christmas. It's not fooling anyone and i don't understand why people even care if it applies to everyone. If non-Christian people are complaining, then they’re being selfish. Just because this one season isn't centered around you doesn't mean you have to ruin everyone else's fun.
This is another ridiculous story about people not being happy about christmas. Honestly, you can't just change the name "Christmas tree" to "holiday tree" because that's not what it is. Soon they'll be offended by the holiday christmas altogether, so it'll just be called " a holiday." Like get over it already. I'm sorry if people are getting offended by it, they have no reason to...it's not like anyone has the nerve to bash Hanukkah. And not to mention most of the country celebrates chrismtas, so for the small percentage that doesn't, shouldnt even matter honestly. They should not matter enough to actually have to change the name christmas tree to holiday tree. What are they going to do about it anyway, cry? Well that just shows the type of selfish people they are. Growing up should be their first goal to strive for not changing a major holiday of the year ( for most people that is ).
I completely understand why the Mayor wanted to call it a holiday tree, however; everyone, no matter what religion they follow, knows that a tall pine tree decorated with lights is a Christmas tree. The Mayor should have just called it a Christmas tree and maybe should have incorporated parts of other religions into the State House, such as a menorah. By incorporating other religions and their symbols, there would be less of a chance of people being offended because of the Christmas tree. In addition, if the majority of the people who are living in this town are Christians who celebrate Christmas, I’m sure the other people in the town would not be outraged if they called the tree a Christmas tree rather than a Holiday Tree.
However, I do not agree with how the town’s people reacted to the tree being called a Holiday tree. Whether you call it a Christmas tree or a Holiday tree, it’s still a decorated pine tree. The town’s people should have been more worried about coming together as a town and being together rather than arguing over the name of a tree. Their arguing over the name of a tree! I know some might say that it’s more than a tree and that you are breaking holiday traditions, but their breaking the holiday tradition by forgetting what the true meaning of Christmas is.
The on going controversy surrounding the holiday season is ridiculous. Calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree should not be changed to a Holiday tree; for years the name of a tree being decorated for Christmas have been a tradtion. A Christmas tree or Holiday tree it is obvious that it was meant for people who celebrate Christmas. Previous to this holiday season, I have not heard of minority religions complaining. Even during the current holiday season, I have heard little of minorities protesting traditional holiday names. Companies and local governments are attempting to appeal politically correct towards minorities when they seem to not care very much.
I think all this holiday controvery is rediculous. Leave Christmas alone and all the other holidays. It's so stupid the things people find problems about. It's a holiday, I don't understand how people get so offended over nothing. Nobody has a problem with columbus day where we invaded what we thought was spain, or thankgiving where we killed off most native americans because of our greed. Now we sit back and celebrate a holiday based off of lies. Christmas is the most wonder time of the year and we don't need any more grouchy people trying to ruin the holiday spirit the rest of us have. These holidays have been around forever and there is no need to change them around now. Just leave it alone and let everything be. Let the Christmas tree be the christmas tree and let the menorah be the menorah not a "holiday candle".
I understand why the Mayor wanted to include everyone in the celebration and not leave certain religions out but I think he should have just added symbols for the other holidays around the tree because a tree is a symbol for Christmas so it would be like naming a Holiday menorah. However, I think the controversy has changed because of the people in this town’s reactions. Naming it a holiday tree might not have been the best idea but I understand why he did it. These people protested a holiday celebration and worst of all sang over little kids and ruined their performance. The holiday season is not a time for this and it was completely uncalled for, for them to disrupt this. I think people are getting way too wrapped up in the minor details and not looking at the happiness that is really supposed to be behind the holidays.
Frankly, i think this topic is just a waste of time. Honestly, i dont really care what you want to call your holiday or christmas or hanukka ornaments. I think people are wating thier time trying to be overly politically correct and i think that the people who are offended by the phrase christmas tree are just complaining because they have nothing better to do with thier lives.
In short, celbrate whatever holiday you want and let others celebrate whatever holiday they want.
A Christmas Tree is a Christmas tree there are no other names or potically correct way to say a christmas tree. Christmas tree's are a decoration to show spirit. Each person decorates a tree in their own way. It shouldnt be called a "holiday tree" when clearly everyone else knows its a christmas tree, if your to put up a christmas tree and you dont want to seem politcally incorrect well then put up an menorah. Everyone in society knows what stands for what. To be politcally correct one should put up items that represent each holiday around this time of year. A christmas tree is a christmas tree, end of story there is no holiday tree.
I think this arguement is kind of pointless. A decorated tree in december will always be a christmas tree.It is pointless to try and push something that a vast majority of people won't even consider anyway. But the point of this is not that we 'don't call the menorah a hannukah candle'. That is a completely invalid arguement. The menorah and hannukah in general is so under-represented during the holiday season that there is no reason to call it the holiday candle. If it were equally represented, then by all means call it that. But if christmas and hannukah got equal representation, there would be no "holiday tree", there would be a christmas tree and a menora, because no one would be offended in the first place. I understand that most people are christian, but we do live in a country of equal rights, and the people who want to put up holiday trees instead of christmas trees are just trying to be equal, to account for all of the unrepresented religions, not even limited to hannukah. I have heard that you have to be christian to know what its like to have one of the symbols of your holiday degraded. But as a jewish kid, that means nothing to me, as every symbol of my religion lost any recognition during this time of year. Literally the entire month of december and now the second half of november completely revolves around everything christmas. Christmas songs, christmas shows, christmas movies, christmas decorations, it is literally impossible to go somewhere and not the holiday shoved down your throat. It is easy to enjoy it as a christian, but when you are not one, it can get old fast. So i will apologize on behalf of everybody who wants to put up a holiday tree and be equal like our own consitution guarentees us,so that christians may lose one of their 50 symbols in a time where the world revolves around them, so that the rest of the country can simply get 1 tiny form of representation that will only be half taken seriously anyway
A Christmas tree is a Christmas tree and should not be called anything else. I see where people are coming from when they call it a holiday tree. They want to appeal to everyone and not just one area of society. But the thing is that a Christmas tree only has to do with one area of society, Christians. It doesn’t appeal to anyone else so why should people try to make everyone happy. Other religions should understand, and most people do, that a Christmas tree is just a symbol for a Christian holiday.
This is stupid calling it a holiday tree. Im pretty sure the only holiday in december with a tree with lights and ornaments is a christmas tree. If people who don't celebrate christmas are offended when it's called a christmas tree, that's redicuolous. A chritmas tree is a christmas tree, and december is the time for catholic people to celebrate the holiday of christmas
I believe that the governor made the wrong choice in this situation. Not politically, not religiously, not morally, but factually: A tree decorated during December is a Christmas Tree. Not a Holiday tree or tree of any other kind. It is a sign of Catholicism and Christmas. If there was any decision to be made it should have been whether or not to have a Christmas Tree at all, not what to call it. There is no argument that the tree is either 'Holiday' or 'Christmas', the question is whether people who want to openly celebrate their religion should have to 'hide' the symbols of it with the word 'Holiday' to ensure no other person could ever be offended by it. How ridiculous does that sound? Everybody knows that both Christmas and Chanukah exist and I'm completely certain no one, regardless of religion, would be flabbergasted to see a freaking decorated pine tree, a, if you would be so bold so say Christmas Tree', or a menorah in the lobby of any given mall or office building during the month of December.
I am completely repulsed by this. Yes the Christmas tree has a religious connection to it, but that's because it's a tradition of Christianity. I take offense that someone would take an important part of Christmas and make it politically correct. If the Christmas tree is going to be called a holiday tree, then I want the menorah to be called a holiday menorah. And there should be 7 candles, instead of 8. Why? Well why not?
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