The War on Christmas?

The infamous war on Christmas and the cup that made people turn red in the face. When Starbucks decided to release their seasonal coffee cup this holiday season people across the country were enraged. The coffee empire opted for a solid red cup instead of their themed cups usually seen in the past.

The solid red cup was the ticket for millions of Americans to use as their tool to further their theory about the war on Christmas, and how being too politically correct was forcing America to not recognize a national holiday.

And the debate over saying ‘Happy Holidays’ versus ‘Merry Christmas’ has been long standing.

During the time of year when selflessness and giving is encouraged, all people can seem to focus on is how a nice gesture made them mad, or how their six dollar specialty coffee drink does not have a dancing Santa on the cup.

America does not, and never had, an official religion. When our founding fathers wrote the U.S. Constitution, Article VI states, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States,” and in the Bill of Rights the first sentence of the First Amendment reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” guaranteeing all Americans the freedom to practice any religion they choose.

So, no, there is not a war on Christmas, but rather a constant battle on how this country should please every single person living within its borders.

The world as a whole is witnessing a very frightening time. The Middle East is experiencing genocide, displacement and brutality. There are national debates over whether or not global warming is real while polar bears in the Arctic are starving due to warmer seasons and a lack of food supply. Children are going to bed hungry, and families are worried they won’t be able to save their home from going into foreclosure. And the entire country is divided on what to do about the fact that we have experienced more mass shootings than days in the year.

All of these events are going on within and outside of our country, yet we dwell about whether or not saying ‘Happy Holidays’ or ‘Merry Christmas’ is offensive or too P.C. And ironically, according to the Pew Research Center, 46 percent of Americans say it doesn’t matter which holiday phrase is said to them.

Perhaps we should worry more about tolerance, remembering that some people celebrate Kwanza, Hanukkah, or nothing at all. Perhaps we should remember that there are other phrases to say that offers someone peace and happiness during these festive times.

And perhaps we need to remember that if all that upsets us at this moment is the fact that a red cup doesn’t have a snowman on it then, in retrospect, life must be pretty good because after all, when some countries are living off of a dollar a day, you’re lucky that you can afford the cup.