Merry Christmas

I wrote this little poem three years ago as part of a failed song
writing attempt.

We put up a little manger, in the middle of our town.
We put a baby Jesus on some straw and laid him gently on the ground.
There was Joseph and Mary, shepherds and kings and beautiful angels all
around.
Then the powers that be said, ?No.?
They made us take the whole thing down.
(JSB)

OK..... there are better poems, however, the point is that since I
wrote this little rhyme things have become even more out of hand. And I
must admit, I really find it amazing. In fact, I am astounded! Not just
offended..... astounded!

Today I was interviewed by a news reporter who was covering our
approaching Christmas show in her town and the dialogue between us was
amazing. This ?oh so politically correct woman? would NOT say the word
Christmas under any circumstance at all. As for me, I wouldn?t quit
saying it.

?So how many holiday songs will you be singing??

?Our Christmas set runs about ninety minutes,? I answered.

Is this your first holiday tour??

?We have been doing a Christmas tour for fifteen years.?

?What is your message for the Holiday Season??

?Ummmmmmm??. HOW ABOUT MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!?

On and on it went. I believe this woman believed that if she uttered
the word Christmas she just might evaporate and pass on into some
Hilary Clinton-esque plane of existence wherein all people are.....
what? Black? Hispanic? Muslim? Homosexual? Oprah? Tim Robbins? Al Gore?
Al Franken? Whatever!

The cable news channels keep reporting that Americans are holiday
shopping and buying holiday gifts. The talking heads are all talking
about online ?holiday e-sales.? This should be a great ?holiday
season.? ?This has been your holiday report.... have a good one!?

?HAPPY HOLIDAYS!?

Sheeeshhh! I want to gag!

At least the constant Happy Holidays greeting is far better than that
age-old Merry Xmas thing. We had that goofy saying way before the PC
Police. It made Christ look like an algebra equation.

Look, I have no bones to pick over how anyone lives their life, or
celebrates a season, but what I do not understand is why these liberal
types keep trying to tear down our own precious traditions, while at
the same time urging others to wear their heritage on their sleeves and
tee shirts.

Are you gay?..... Well, be proud!. You go, guy! Stand up and march and get
married!

Are you a hyphenated American? Then be proud of your heritage. Don?t
forget where you came from. Speak your native language. Observe your
native customs.

But what about my customs? I grew up as a white male who was taught
that God should be an important part of my life and that I should love
my country. I was taught that things are black and white, right or
wrong, up or down. Not all gray and blurry. I was told that if I worked
hard, sacrificed, treated people right, honored GOD and told the truth
always that I would succeed. I was taught to honor our flag and our
soldiers.

I was raised up loving CHRISTMAS!!! THAT is part of MY tradition. I
sing Christmas songs, put up a Christmas tree and give Christmas
presents paid for by my Christmas bonus! I believe that Santa Claus
comes on Christmas morning, and I read The Christmas Story from my
BIBLE on Christmas Eve!!

Somehow, that makes me the bad guy to a liberal. A very dangerous man
to be avoided at all costs. I might even own a gun. Well.... I do!

I have a newsflash for the loud mouths in this nation who would change
every bit of my upbringing to fit into their agenda! Most Americans
feel the way I do about it.

Every night on stage when I mention Christmas..... people cheer. When
The Oak Ridge Boys sing about our flag and our soldiers...... people
stand up an cheer.

OK, I?ll admit that our little singing group does not draw a huge part
of the Black or Islamic populous, however, I still raise a valid point.
In a few more years, if Barbra Streisand and Sean Penn get their way
the blue part of the political map may overwhelm the red..... but not
yet, Bucko!

I am happy to report that I also did an interview recently with a
Jewish woman who loved the Oaks and comes to our Christmas show every
year. Christmas is not really her holiday, however, she still enjoyed
the music. And I don?t believe she finds anything that we do the least
bit offensive. She even uttered the secret word.......... CHRISTMAS!

I also respect her beliefs. She seemed to be a very happy woman. There
we were chatting away and talking about common ground. Wow, what a
concept. You know, this IS America and everyone has the right to his or
her own way of doing things ? from the way they worship to the way they
do anything else that is within the limits of the law. At its very
core, that is what FREEDOM is all about!

But I?ll tell you, I just can?t figure out why some people get so
doggone up in arms over Christmas being........ well....... Christmas!
How did all of this come to pass?

For that matter, why do so many folks make such an issue out of
separation of Church and State, which is NOT, by the way, written into
our constitution anywhere. What are they afraid of? The Ten
Commandments? The Nativity Scene? God? If a person is really an
atheist, then God is not a factor in their life or beliefs anyway?.. so
why should it matter to them?

I am not a Hindu but millions of people in this world believe they
might die and someday come back as a cow. Fine with me. I don?t fear
Hindus. If they had a holiday and I had a Hindu buddy I would happily
buy him a Happy Hindu gift and wish him a very Happy Hindu! The same
with Ramadan and Kwanza (a tradition which dates all the back to around
1998!)

Many people today are so concerned that someone will be offended by
something we say or do. It?s as if people of other origins are
constantly ready to be offended. Are they? Are they really? If the
answer is ?no,? then??. WHO IS MAKING UP THESE RULES? Who is really
self-centered enough to become a card carrying member of the PC Police.
If they are people in power, and many are, they pass their silly rules
on to everyone who is associated with them. That is very unsettling!

?OK.... send this memo out today. No one is allowed to say CHRISTMAS on
the air or in print or around the office. And always remember to use
your hyphens. Now go on to work! Enjoy a HAPPY Holidays......
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr?

WOW!

Comedian and commentator Dennis Miller once said, ?America is the great
melting pot........ so MELT already!?

I concur with Dennis........ lighten up!

I grew up in Philadelphia, PA. I was a child of the fifties, and I came
of age in the sixties during a time of impending war and assassination.
The very air was supercharged, and civil rights was a very volatile and
important issue that caused a lot of violence and mayhem, in my own
neighborhood and beyond.

When the race riots hit downtown I was playing baseball with my
friends, Shawn and Harvey, who were black. On that same field were
Harry and Paul who were Jewish, as well as Freddie and Jimmy who were
Italian, and Johnny who was Irish, and Eric who was German. Larry was
Greek, I think. But, hey, we were buddies. I may have been the only
Protestant among them.

My Jewish buds wore little black hats, worshipped in a synagogue on
Saturday, and my Catholic friends took catechism and went to mass and
confession. I actually thought my religion was much easier. I just went
to church and said my prayers.

However, we were a team. We were FRIENDS! We talked to each other and
consoled each other and learned from each other. Despite all of the
outside forces that would try to tear us apart, in our hearts, we were
all just Philly boys. A small army, who unloaded on each other and
loved each other and would stand up and fight for each other. We
fought, we forgave, we laughed and we cried....... TOGETHER...... as
ONE! We melted!

We were just kids and maybe that is where the answer lies. Somewhere
along the way we grow up and lose sight of the magic of childhood.
Author Stephen King once said that ?you could see it in the eyes.?
People lose that ?flicker,? that ?spark? of childhood. The child inside
has died! Everything has become way too serious. We are adults 100% of
the time, and that is very sad.

You know, I believe the little baby was born in that manger, and I
believe that the angels sang. My faith tells me that He also grew up
to say, ?Except that we become as little children we can NOT see the
kingdom of God.?

So there you go. That must be the answer. A childlike faith. Maybe we
need a little more of that. We may not see an angel or witness a
miracle or hear HIS voice (although we might). I know one thing. We
could learn to become much more tolerant of one another. Then, perhaps,
we would not see God as such a threat to our political wellbeing. We
would learn there is more to life than that. Like a sunset or a fresh
snow or a tulip or a bluebird........ or even Santa Claus.

Maybe we all need to sit down again and watch Miracle On 34th Street
and It?s A Wonderful Life again and try to remember what it was that
made us fill up with emotion when we saw that cane in the house by the
fireplace or when Zuzu?s pedals fell out of George Bailey?s pocket.
Admit it, it got you once!

Yes, the world is a crazy and dangerous place so why make it any worse?
Wake up that little boy and girl who is lying dormant. Give God a
chance in your life no matter how you visualize him.

Climb a tree! Ride your bike! Holler at the moon! Believe in magic.
Expect a miracle! Yes, Virginia....... there is a Santa Claus. And
remember, the birth of Jesus Christ is the real reason we
celebrate......... CHRISTMAS! That is all part of my tradition!

That is why I say......... Merry Christmas!

Joseph S. Bonsall
December 1, 2003