Letters to the Editor
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The "War" on Christmas: nothing but brainwashing
I completely sympathized with Wil Wheaton's Christmas experience with his family; mine was not only similar, but equally as exasperating. For the three days I was at my mother and stepfather's home over Christmas this year, I listened to an unending tirade (itself a virtual repeat of last year) about how the "ACLU" and "political correctness" had "destroyed" Christmas; that it was an "outrage" that "no one was allowed to say 'Merry Christmas' anymore," (despite my bringing up - in as diplomatic a fashion as possible - that no evidence whatsoever existed that this was the case); endless complaining by them through clenched teeth that "I think it's an outrage that "they" (meaning Turner Classic Movies, etc.) aren't showing a single Christmas movie" (though a cursory scroll through the Dish Network guide found no fewer than 6 channels airing, at different times, hoary old chestnuts such as "It's a Wonderful Life", "Christmas in Connecticut", "Little Women", etc. (along with endless amounts of Christmas music on some of the music channels). When I pointed out this fact, another O'Reilly-created brick wall was thrown up in my face: "Maybe they're showing them once, but they should be running these movies all day!" It was at that point I gave up and realized this is one battle that, if things were going to stay on a pleasant level for the rest of the weekend, it might be better to just drop.
I feel Will's frustration; I love my mother and stepfather dearly, and they are otherwise completely intelligent, thoroughly rational people, whom I've often turned to for council, and, as one would expect from one's elders, their advice about anything but politics is insightful and illuminating. But their retirement has found them immersed in FOX news and its infuriatingly inane stable of worthless "commentators", all of them frothing at the mouth about how "Christmas is under attack by godless liberals!" As Will said, FOX has turned them into GOP talking point-spouting pod people. Of the seven million reasons I despise, no, loathe - in fact, I can't think of an adjective strong enough - FOX "news", this may be at the top of the list. No argument, it seems, regardless of how well thought through or logically presented, can seem to penetrate the brainwashing perpetrated by this wretched network, and that fact makes me as sad as it does unspeakably angry.
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Wil, they have not been Borged.
The strength of the opinion you received is not the fault of Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh. Hats off to the poster who pointed out that O'Reilly is against the death penalty. (I remember hearing O'Reilly say that too when the execution was in the news.) And Rush is certainly no frequent yeller. You would know that if you listened to him.
OOPS! I guess that means you don't really know where their opinion is coming from.
Give your parents the respect that they deserve. Like most people who argue politics, conservative or liberal, they repeat the things that are initially offered up to them by others but they choose to repeat them because they make sense to them.
Liberals are just as often guilty of this type of group-think as any other group. When you say you don't even listen to O'Reilly or Limbaugh, you just hate them, you are just as bad as your father. And the conservatives have as many real thinkers as do the liberals.
The only complaint you legitimately have is that it upsets you when your Dad yells at you. This is completely normal. Most people are not as calm and rational as Jean-Luc Picard. Why not just say, "Dad, it makes me feel badly when you yell at me over something like this. Can't we discuss it calmly?"
I know you're not Wesley Crusher but that's how most of us still think of you. Prove us we're wrong. Show us that you have grown up and can stand up to your Dad but don't forget to give him the respect he deserves.
Real debate is still possible. How amazing it was in the last month when the President troubles emboldened the Democrats like Murtha and both Democrats and Republicans got off their platforms and after the intially uncivil debate about an immediate pullout, engaged in a fair and generally respectful debates about what to do about the Patriot Act.
Let's keep it going that way and not let it disintegrate into a witch hunt. Let's each start listening to each other.
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"Merry Christmas" as a weapon
When people say "Merry Christmas" with the intention of making a political statement and especially to attack someone, real or imagined, there's something wrong. Then it's certainly not an innocent expression of good will; I guess you could say it's an expression of ill will.
Some people say the words "Merry Christmas" and the religious Christmas stuff never hurt anyone. Well, I don't know about that -- my first-grader has many times been reduced to tears by belligerent people bombarding her with Christmas stuff in a decidely hostile manner. I'm not talking about the people who don't know that she's Jewish and are just trying to be nice. I'm talking about those who do know that she's Jewish and are apparently out to hurt her feelings, trying to make her feel ashamed or at least left out of the fun. BTW, the people who are using "Merry Christmas" as a weapon are not other kids but seem to be all adults. Fox-indoctrinated adults, I suppose.
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O'Reilly, Christmas and all the rest of it
To me the problem is that people are trapped in a tasteless, vapid media land. The banal and tasteless sports, fishin', card games and funny food are supposed to be emblematic of family life, signifying love and togetherness. I would be bored stiff by Wheaton's family. I think the Wheatons are bored too beneath it all and lashing out at each other in an attempt to get the adrenaline going.
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The Bad Guy
I, too, have been labeled as the "bad guy" at gatherings with my husband's side of the family. My husband is a liberal in a family of raging conservatives. You name it, they got it: jesus freaks, gun zealots, separatist types, and the general tone during these dinners consists of gay bashing, tax rage, and the seniors bitching about the high cost of health care. I sit there and think, wow, are you people really that stupid that you complain about the high cost of health care and you're on a fixed income, and you keep voting Republican??? I guess they are content in knowing that if someone breaks into their home wanting to steal their TV, they can grab the nearest firearm and shoot to kill. Of course, the chances of this happening are one-in-a-black-hole-type-number, but who needs affordable medicine when you have the right to own dozens of really neat, shiny guns???
My brother-in-law is a 48 year old loser, doesn't drive because of repeated DUI citations, doesn't keep his house in his own name because the federal government will take it away for payment of back taxes, does not have mail delivered to his address, and drinks himself into oblivion every night. He is the typical never been married macho know it all, always insisting he's right about everything. He's an argumentative ass who barely holds a job but bitches endlessly about taxes. What I pay in taxes in one year exceeds his total income over a three year period. People are funny, huh?
I have learned to keep my mouth shut about politics/religion when I am around them, not because I care what they they think of me, but because I prefer to engage in worthwhile exchanges with enlightened people, not people who are blinded by the rantings of HannityInsanity, Druggie Limbaugh, and the sexual predator O'LIElly. My in-laws and other relatives by marriage are so misguided and delusional, they are just not worth the energy.
I have been screamed at, told who I should vote for, told that I need to find jesus, told to remove the Kerry-Edwards sign from my front window, and asked, with much exasperation I might add, why on earth I would have an "Impeach Bush" bumper sticker on my car. Of course, they all believe that Clinton's impeachment, and the millions Starr spent, was totally warranted. I savor the times when this point comes up because I get to remind them that the Clinton impeachment was killed in the senate. Ha!
My side of the family is better, but only by a little. I was raised by FDR Democrats, but since my father died almost 5 years ago my mother has steadily moved to the right. My sister was a moderate Democrat until she married a Republican cop and had two children with him. She literally believes that terrorists are going to come to the United States and eat her children. My other sister, who also used to be a Democrat, thought that the police should have had the right to shoot the people who "refused" to evacuate New Orleans during the hurricane. I tried to point out that many people simply did not have the resources to leave, and she replied that if "they" weren't so lazy and would just get a job, they would have had the resources to get out.
This all leaves me with a very frightened feeling.