A rchive Date
[ 07-12-2001 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
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[http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/brodbeck.html
They're Christians ...
So don't mention the season
By TOM BRODBECK - Winnipeg Sun
December 7, 2001
If you want to see a good example of political correctness gone absolutely mad, take a stroll down to the Manitoba Legislature and visit the "multicultural tree."
It's a Christmas tree, actually - a Manitoba spruce with a bunch of decorations on it and an angel on top. But they don't call it a Christmas tree because they don't want to offend anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas.
In fact, government has quietly taken the word "Christmas" out of its political lexicon altogether.
Christmas no longer appears in any provincial government news release and they haven't called the Christmas tree in the Legislature rotunda a "Christmas tree" in 12 years.
Instead, they've reduced the Christmas season to some generic, one-size-fits-all, empty, politically correct time of year that everyone knows is Christmas, but no one wants to call it that. Christmas was obliterated from the official record in 1996.
The last time the provincial government dared use the word was in 1995, when they invited Manitobans to come out and celebrate the "Christmas Lights Across Canada."
Rubber-headed bureaucrats
"It is our hope that these Christmas lights will shine as a symbol of the social and cultural values that are held by Canadians everywhere," said then-house speaker Louise Dacquay.
A year later, Christmas was removed from the official record because some group of rubber-headed bureaucrats thought the province should be more sensitive to those who don't celebrate Christmas.
Since 1996, "Christmas" has not been used in government news releases or by cabinet members in public speeches.
"Christmas Lights Across Canada" was changed to "Lights Across Canada."
As far as the provincial government is concerned, Christmas is dead.
The only thing left is the annual "open house" at the Legislature in early December and a multicultural tree.
"Merry Christmas" has practically became a slanderous well-wishing.
Hanukkah honoured
The government took it one step further this year with the unveiling of the multicultural tree yesterday.
Again, no acknowledgment of Christmas.
But for the first time that I can recall, the province officially honoured the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. Why is that? Why is it acceptable to officially recognize one cultural celebration and not another?
During yesterday's press conference, "Happy Hanukkah" was proudly displayed in the rotunda at the legislature.
But there was no "Merry Christmas" banner. It's sheer hypocrisy.
Politicians try so hard to be inclusive and sensitive to the feelings of minority groups that they end up apologizing for the cultural traditions of the majority.
It's a guilt trip.
Multicultural Minister Becky Barrett said this yesterday: "Manitoba's cultural diversity means we have many opportunities to explore, share and understand the heritage of our friends and neighbours through the celebration of our holiday traditions."
But we don't.
How can you share a tradition such as Christmas if we pretend it doesn't exist?
This is the Christmas season, which most Manitobans celebrate, by the way, and I for one will not apologize for that.
It's Hanukkah season, too, and people who celebrate Hanukkah shouldn't apologize for that, either. There's way too much apologizing going on around here.
Tom Brodbeck is the Sun's city columnist. He can be reached by e-mail at tbrodbeck@wpgsun.com
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