Funny, those are the only places this "war" exists. Everybody I know and the things around town you see smacks of the holiday season. The stores, the advertising, and all that goes with it. Do people really give a second thought when they read an ad worded "happy holidays" or "merry X-mas"? I think its fair to say that the overwhelming majority of people do not ever give it a second thought. Watch or listen to people like Bill O'reilly and you would think there is some kind of leftist plot to kill Christmas. Sounds tailor made for a new animated Christmas special. We can name it "O'reilly Saves Christmas"
So what's really going on here? The answer is quite obvious. The Republican party is mired in scandal after scandal, the war in Iraq is going very badly, the budget deficit is growing ever larger and cuts are being made in student loan programs to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest 1%. Our health care system is broken, and the people in power have no answer to the rising cost of health care, nor for the 47+ million people who can not afford coverage of any kind. The south is still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the news from the gulf region is not encouraging.
With an election coming up for Congress and Republican control in jeopardy, the conservatives are trying to divert attention from the important issues that our country faces. So this month, its the "war on Christmas".
Will this strategy work for them? Only time will tell....
Joe Zodda is an Attorney and Writer living in Upstate New York
