I have to say, as a former raised-Christian, I have never once felt a sense of oppression or disrespect towards the Christmas holiday and season. Growing up, I rarely encountered any Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or any other traditions being displayed in the public arena, but Christmas was an ever-present occurrence.
Now, I certainly don't believe that the majority of Christians feel as if they are suffering through a "War on Christmas," but their leading spokespeople are so often out-of-touch with the people. It is quite sad, really. Their bigotry, anger, and discontent only serves to further divide and radicalize their moderate friends.
I think the greatest issue to be taken away from the "War on Christmas" is that social change is a slow process and it simply takes a coming and going of new and old generations to fully replace the old ways. Heated and radical messages from Fox News only serve a steadily fading demographic, rapidly being replaced by a new set of believers and non-believers alike, who both distrust the sort of messages found on Fox News.
The "traditions" touted by the modern "fair and balanced" conservative would have been highly controversial, even liberal, back in the idealistic "good old days" of Fox News lore. Fact: Bill O'Reilly said that the reason President Obama won re-election was because of a "new and worrisome" change in the American demographic. Fact: Someone like Bill O'Reilly would have been persecuted and shunned for his Roman Catholicism only a mere fifty years ago, and today he complains about increasing presences of Muslims, Blacks, and Latinos in the working, middle, and professional classes.
As a white middle-class male I say it's about time America had a demographic shift. It's about time "minorities" became more of a majority and the "strange" and "non-traditional" became the respected, valued, and beautiful new focus of a truly free nation of true individual freedoms and liberties.
Now, I certainly don't believe that the majority of Christians feel as if they are suffering through a "War on Christmas," but their leading spokespeople are so often out-of-touch with the people. It is quite sad, really. Their bigotry, anger, and discontent only serves to further divide and radicalize their moderate friends.
I think the greatest issue to be taken away from the "War on Christmas" is that social change is a slow process and it simply takes a coming and going of new and old generations to fully replace the old ways. Heated and radical messages from Fox News only serve a steadily fading demographic, rapidly being replaced by a new set of believers and non-believers alike, who both distrust the sort of messages found on Fox News.
The "traditions" touted by the modern "fair and balanced" conservative would have been highly controversial, even liberal, back in the idealistic "good old days" of Fox News lore. Fact: Bill O'Reilly said that the reason President Obama won re-election was because of a "new and worrisome" change in the American demographic. Fact: Someone like Bill O'Reilly would have been persecuted and shunned for his Roman Catholicism only a mere fifty years ago, and today he complains about increasing presences of Muslims, Blacks, and Latinos in the working, middle, and professional classes.
As a white middle-class male I say it's about time America had a demographic shift. It's about time "minorities" became more of a majority and the "strange" and "non-traditional" became the respected, valued, and beautiful new focus of a truly free nation of true individual freedoms and liberties.
