Christmas carols? Christmas decorations? They'll be none of that here granny!

Here is more evidence that the liberal mindset is bent on discriminating and denying religious freedom guaranteed in the First Amendment of the Constitution (you know the famous amendment on the “Separation between Church and State” although nowhere in the amendment does it mention this phrase).

This time they are picking on the elderly. A residents at a retirement home community in Winter Park Florida are not allowed to either sing Christmas carols or listen to them being sung anywhere on the premises. Another retirement community in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania has banned its residents from decorating the outside of their doors, and anywhere in the common areas within the residence, with any Christmas decorations whatsoever.

That’s right the “progressive” left is demonstrating its progressive, "move American society ahead mission" by denying elderly folks at these retirement homes from enjoying Christmas carols and decorating their living quarters with Christmas decorations. All of this in the name of “inclusion”.

If you’re like me, you probably scratching your head and thinking one thing: huh?!

Apparently, in the infinite wisdom of the intolerant left, if one person doesn’t like Christmas, then nobody else is allowed to celebrate it anywhere but in underground catacombs, well out of sight (i.e. behind closed doors in the secrecy of their living space).

A lot of Americans are getting upset and running out of patience with the whole atheist, communist, "kill joy" left and their operation to squash religious freedom. I believe their attack on Christmas this year might just be the last straw to motivate the, up until now, apathetic voter to actually speak out and silence them once and for all.

It’s not that I believe we should shove religion down any American’s throat. I would never stand for that, in fact I would stand vehemently against it! We are a society that is religiously pluralistic and the Constitution guarantees the right of a citizen to practice any religion he or she believes in without interference from the government. It also guarantees American citizens the right to be atheists if they so choose. But, manger scenes, Christmas trees, Christmas carols, the phrase “Merry Christmas” are in no way shape or form forcing anyone to convert to Christianity. By the way, neither is Santa Claus, reindeer or Christmas trees.

Christmas has been secularized for a long, long time in this country and both Christians and non-Christians have been able enjoyed the season together without one attacking the practice of the other with respect to how it is to be enjoyed. That is until now.

Now the secular, atheist left is trying to shove their beliefs on Christians. Christians are not allowed to openly celebrate its religious holiday in any way shape or form. Jewish holidays in December aren’t being targeted. Muslim holidays aren’t being targeted, even Kwanzaa gets a pass. No, for the left in this country, you can practice any religion you wish, just make sure it’s not Christianity.

As I’ve said, Christmas has already been secularized for many years and is not only a religious holiday. When I was growing up in the 60’s and 70’s it was not uncommon to hear the phrases, “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greeting”. There are plenty of Christmas songs that aren’t religious at all like “Jingle Bells”, “Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire”, “Winter Wonderland” to name a few. Santa Claus and elves and mistletoe, candy canes, Christmas trees aren’t “Christian”.

Just because someone wishes to sing Christmas Carols or say “Merry Christmas”, or have Christmas decorations displayed at Christmas time is in no way shoving Christianity down any one’s throat, no more than a display of a menorah, or the Star of David shoving Judaism down anyone’s throat. I can walk past poster’s displaying the tenets of Kwaazana, or menorahs all day long without feeling proselytized.

While these aren’t religions I believe in personally I respect the rights of those who do and believe they are just as free as I am to express their religions in the public square. There is room in the public square for all expression of religion. The court house can have a Nativity scene, Jewish religious symbols, Muslim symbols, Wiccan symbols, even a monument with “There is no such thing as God” chiseled on it!

The whole “inclusion” argument is nothing but pure sophistry on the part of the left. There is such a thing as standing up for the little guy, but that’s not what the left is actually doing here, or anywhere else it sticks its two cents in via the ACLU or other means. The notion that because there may be a person that doesn’t believe in God, therefore, all crosses, Ten Commandment displays, mottos like: “In God We Trust” and “One Nation Under God”, Nativity scenes, signs that say “Merry Christmas” etc must be immediately removed so as not to offend the atheist and his or her sensitive feelings in order to assure inclusion of everyone is absurd and is in fact dangerous to free society.

Does this mean if there is one person out there who isn’t enjoying a sexual relationship no one else can and that furthermore sex should be outlawed? Does this mean that because the poor don’t have as much money as the wealthy we should fix the problem by banning money? Of course not. But, even though these two examples I’ve just stated are obviously absurd, they illustrate where the “inclusion argument” from the ACLU and the left eventually leads to: freedom for nobody.

I like to listen to the music of the Beatles. I’m quite certain that there are people out there who don’t like the Beatles or their music and that is perfectly fine. They are free to listen to whatever they please. They are not free to insist that I not listen to the Beatles because they don’t like the Beatles. Their freedom does not make me their servant or give them any control over my musical taste or choice.

Now, if I were to find some way to harass them with Beatles music, for instance, play it in their face 24/7, ensure that every radio station played nothing but Beatles music, the TV, Cable, and Satellite channels played nothing but Beatles music and showed nothing but Beatle movies and documentaries, then there would be a good case for me to be restrained. But barring that the anti-Beatle person should be rightfully told to “get over it” and move on to more worthwhile protestations.

The same is true regarding Christmas.

Picking on the elderly by attempting to deny them their right to celebrate Christmas shows you just how devoid of compassion the "compassionate left" really is. The left is no more compassionate than they are tolerant. They like to act as if their position is one of compassion and tolerance unlike the intolerant, mean-spirited conservatives, but when you get past all of the spirited rhetoric coming out of the left's propaganda, actions like this serve to expose them for what they are: mean-spirited, intolerant hypocrites. This quote from the news article illustrates just how mean-spirited the left's position really is:

Mathew Staver is president and general counsel of the law firm.
"Some of these elderly citizens and persons with disabilities will celebrate their final Christmas in these housing facilities," Staver noted. "It is unthinkable that these housing authorities would rob the elderly and the dependent residents of their joy in celebrating Christmas. It is hard to imagine what these officials are thinking when they tell senior citizens that they may not celebrate Christmas, and then in the same breath, seek to justify their discrimination on the basis of inclusion. Forbidding these senior and dependent residents from celebrating Christmas is the most exclusionary act imaginable."

You see. The left is a progressive movement alright. That is, if you consider banning Christmas and the right of any public expression of Christianity at all, despite the absence of any Inquisition, progress.