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Happy Merry Christmas Holiday Birthday Jesus
Modern day American Christmas is unfortunately saddled with a common modern day American gift: War. More specifically, the “War on Christmas.” (Fox News)
The war is fought on many fronts, with battles over verbal greetings, public manger displays, coffee cups, trees, Black Friday sales, tradition, climate change (there was a 70 degree December day in Ohio last week, but first blizzard and out come the “so much for global warming” idiots), Santa, Black Santas, Jesus, Black Jesus, Krampus, and whether or not “Christmas Vacation” is the best movie in the series. It is, but that’s not the point.
The extreme conservative right part of this country loves it some war.
A large part of this country… nah screw it, I’ll say it; The extreme conservative right part of this country LOOOOOOOOVES it some war. So much so that the GOP should have Oprah host their next convention and tell everyone to look under their seats while she jumps around yelling and pointing “You get a war, and you get a war, everybody gets a war!!!!”
The only group that loves it more is the medi… nah screw it, I’ll say it; Fox News and other fanatical right wing idiots that use it as their bread and butter, like that blubbering douche on YouTube that made the stink about this year’s Starbucks coffee cups not saying “Merry Christmas,” even though they never have. Forget the fact that you’ll find Christmas displays, decorations, and music everywhere this time of year, so a “War on Christmas” is pure nonsense. What really jingles my bells is the blatant contradictory disposition of the whole “War on Christmas” when you consider the religious teachings the holiday in question is based around.
How is it that, as an atheist, I get the meaning of the holiday but its self appointed boots-on-the ground defenders don’t?
They’ll claim that we’ve lost our way, or that we have taken God out of everywhere, and the “War on Xmas” (try passing that abbreviation off) is just another liberal attempt at destroying America. The truth is much simpler. THEY’VE forgotten one of the most important values our nation was founded on and a pretty common meme these days: Be nice to people and don’t be a dick.
Simply explained:
- If someone tells me Merry Christmas, even though I’m a godless heathen, I know they’re just wishing me well and being nice. So I say it back because I want people to be happy and I want to be nice.
- If I responded with indignation and perpetuate the idea of the angry atheist by arguing that it is really a pagan holiday that’s been commercialized by corporate America and no longer has anything to do with Jesus, then I’m just being a dick.
- If Donald Trump goes into Target to buy a sewing kit for his Muslim ID patches and the clerk says “happy holidays” because, in a crazy scheme to turn a profit, Target decided to acknowledge the multiple holidays celebrated by their diverse customer base this time of year, they’re just being nice.
- If he reacts by demanding the clerk give him the greeting of his choice and declares that he will be President and someday everyone will say “Merry Christmas,” then he’s just being a dick.
I was religious longer than I’ve been an atheist. I’ve celebrated many Christmases and still do, just a little differently. For me it is a happy time of year to celebrate family, friends, and the dream of a world filled with peace and love. It was never meant to be used as a tool for political gain or for profit. It is sad that the people who claim to be religious the loudest in their defense against the “War on Christmas” don’t seem to know what any of it is about. A greeting is just a greeting. No person’s rights are infringed upon if somebody gives you a greeting or wishes you well just because they don’t do it the way you want them to. They are just being nice and you are just being a dick if you view it any other way.
Certainly none of these things constitute a war or an attempt to take Christ out of Christmas. No person is being prevented from celebrating Christmas. And yeah, I know, displays on public property blah blah blah. That’s another subject that could use a couple of thousand words. However, the fact that a simple well intended greeting can be used to pollute a joyful time of year with fear, anger, and hate is embarrassing and shameful.
Ironically, this same crowd constantly whines about the nation becoming overly “PC” and being too easily offended, yet they get offended by “Happy Holidays?” Cmon man.
If the fanatical right is REALLY interested in putting Christ back in Christmas and keeping it pure, it’s pretty simple. Be nice to people and stop being dicks. Definitely don’t be Donald Trump.
Almost every year for the past 6 years and on the same day, I’ve posted the same pic of me in the hospital during my temporary and untimely demise in 2015. A few weeks after I was back to “normal”, I asked Eric “Why’d you take the pics?” And he said, “I knew you would want to write about it if you lived.” Eric was right. Eric was often right and Eric always had my best interest at heart. I am going to miss my friend.
You ever meet someone and become friends immediately?! Well this was not the case with Eric. Before he was my manager at Morgan Stanley, I would often see this 6’4″, giant white guy walk up to the only black woman at work, say something then walk away without any hint of human emotion. Naturally I thought he was a jerk until I asked her “Yo, is that dude bothering you?” She laughed and proceeded to tell me he was a great person, which I ultimately got to experience first hand. Little did I know this Italian from Staten Island was more Brooklyn than most Brooklynites.
Eric was not with the shits!! If there were ever someone who lived their life in direct, honest and no uncertain terms, that would be Eric. He would ask me questions at work like “Why are the other consultants making more money than you?” I knew the answer to that question and so did he. Eric then proceeded to increase my salary by 15K. After arguing with all our managers that “You need to hire Alfred!”, they eventually did 1 year prior to the 2015 incident. In the hospital, one of my friends asked me, “What if you didn’t have health insurance when this happened?” I would be in debt for the rest of my life is the obvious answer. I still am in debt for the rest of my life but at least, it is to those who made sure I had a more enjoyable life and for that, I will gladly repay.
My mom loved to tell me the story of how she met Eric. After they told her I was going to be in the ICU for some time, she told the doctor “Well I’m not going anywhere.” She then hears a voice from that back of the room that says “Well I’m not going anywhere either!” That was Eric and in true form, he was at that hospital every single day until I was discharged.
Eric passed away in December 2021 of stage 4 cancer. After feeling faint on his way to my bbq, he went to get checked out and was diagnosed. During the past 5 years, Eric lost his mom, twin brother and dad. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have felt like but I’m glad that pain he was feeling is no more.
From being my manager to my business partner, writer, book editor, artistic director, and most importantly, my friend, I am going to miss you MC Krispy E a.k.a “Enrique Pollazo!” And although you told me Enrique means Henry in Spanish and not Eric, it was too late!
Sidebar. The day I was discharged, while everyone was deciding what was best for me, no one had remembered that I would need clothes in order to leave the hospital. Eric shows up (unasked) with all the clothes I had on the day I coded, laundered and ready to go. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve friends like this but i need to keep doing it! Sidebar complete.
Rest in Peace Eric. “Be Good.”
I had the distinct pleasure of participating in a panel discussion on writing your first book, presented by the Harlem chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Alongside Jim St. Germain, Author – A Stone of Hope: A Memoir and Dr. Keneshia Nicole Grant, Author – The Great Migration and the Democratic Party: Black Voters and the Realignment of American Politics in the 20th Century. We opined on pain points, benefits and strategies regarding our inaugural voyages into authorship. Feel free to watch for your self and I hope this provides some insight to all those looking to make the same voyage. Enjoy!
