o xmas tree, o xmas tree

Wasn’t it Shakespeare who said that a Christmas tree by any other name would still be as pretty? Or did he say, holiday tree? Maybe it was someone else. Maybe I’m confused on this one.

What I’m not confused about, however, is that there is some serious insanity going on between hard-line Christians and hard-line others about what to call that tall green thing with all the lights and balls on it.

You may recall that last year, a similar argument raged and here is what I had to say about it and a couple of other things during the holiday/Christmas season in 2004.

http://jimboandhisfriends.blogspot.com/2004/12/christmas-bloody-christmas.html

It seems to me that we have the right to celebrate the season the way we want. We have the right to believe what we want to believe, but when it comes to the point of intolerance of the other fellow’s point of view, then somehow we have lost the spirit of Christmas.

This is the season of peace on earth and goodwill toward men (or women, if, like me, you share an affection for a member of the fairer sex), and it’s time to put aside all the fussin’ and fightin.’ Let me enjoy the season the way I want and I’ll let you enjoy the season the way you want. If I want to call it a Christmas tree, that’s my right; if I want to call it a holiday tree, it’s my right, too. If you want to call it Xmas, feel free. Just don’t tell me what I have to call it, and I won’t tell you what you have to call it.

There are places on this planet where the theocracy dictates how one is to celebrate religious holidays, but not in this country. Despite whatever you hear from Dubya, we’re still a free country and we have the right to religious freedom. If you are reading this in some country that doesn’t enjoy the same religious freedom we do, you have my sympathy. That freedom is ours and we are going to keep it, despite attempts from both sides to mold the season into their own image.

Attend your parties; send out your cards; buy your gifts and trim your tree—by whatever name you choose to call it.

That’s what we do, here in Jimbo’s world.