December is here, and in the midst of finals projects, final exams and your final days of avoiding laundry, there exists at the University a poignant feeling of what people refer to as the “holiday season,” or as I like to call it, Christmas.
And if it isn’t obvious enough already, the sudden influx of Frank Sinatra, countless games of “Secret Santa,” and, of course, the Lighting of the Lawn may be enough of a hint that Christmas is, in fact, imminent.
But in recent times, the militant efforts to eliminate any reference to Christmas have become as sensational as the holiday itself. The usage of the word “holiday” as an ambiguous substitute for the Christmas season reemerges as a topic of controversy almost every year. Some have even dubbed the collective movement toward political correctness as a threat to America as they know it, going so far as to call it a “War on Christmas.”
Yet it’s not a question of war or discrimination. The driving force behind the effort to switch “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays” is actually much more complex than a simple attempt to equalize the public’s view of different creeds and religions. From what I’ve seen, political correctness has more to do with launching a preemptive strike against being accused of ignorance than catering to anyone who’s different. In short, it boils down to the concept of people becoming offended for other people, for the sake of themselves.
Although it isn’t really a “War on Christmas,” political correctness does pose the question of how accommodating the United States really is toward non-Christian faiths. It seems like Americans are quick to deem any public threat to minority religions as unacceptable, whether it be Koran burning or anti-Semitic remarks, but the general lack of knowledge of other religions suggests the opposite of what it means to be “inclusive.”
The assertion is often thrown around that the United States ranks as one of the most ignorant nations in the world. To me and many others, that’s no surprise. But the fact that one of the world’s most ignorant nations is also the birthplace of modern “political correctness” implies just what political correctness is set to accomplish — or not accomplish. We can call it a failure of multiculturalism, our education systems or even the media. But if we look at the “Happy Holidays” initiative through the framework of ignorance, it appears as though people show their outrage over “Merry Christmas” to seem like they care, not because they actually do.
Let’s face it. “Happy Holidays” isn’t going to end a race war. It’s not going to end any “War on Christmas,” and it’s not going to make anyone feel specifically accounted for in a retail store. Moreover, a plain acknowledgment of diversity doesn’t count as true recognition of diversity. But in fear of even the slightest exposure of ignorance, the advocate of political correctness stands there, hands in the air, like a Spanish soccer player denying foul play with an Oscar-worthy eyebrow raise.
What’s more, the case for political correctness assumes that non-Christians are somehow upset by Christmas, when in fact it can be just the opposite. I’ve been fortunate enough to take frequent trips to Turkey, where the predominant religion is not Christianity but Islam. Yet if you take a walk on the streets of Istanbul in the middle of December, it’s just as stereotypically festive as any U.S. city you’ve ever seen. Trees are lit in restaurants and hotels, shopping malls become the center Santas, and ringtones are set to “Jingle Bells.” The Turks have found a way to bridge the gap between the East and the West by observing the New Year the same way Westerners would celebrate Christmas. Although it isn’t a religious celebration, the customs are certainly adopted from traditions that are universally linked to Christianity.
But as we see today, the United States is a whole different story. No matter how many window displays, mall Santas or Christmas carols there are, attached is a lingering obligation to omit any direct mention of Christmas at all. I’d hate to boil political correctness down to a simple white man’s burden, but it seems that those who push for this obligation do it more out of an inherent sense of guilt than a duty to non-Christian citizens. The problem with “Happy Holidays,” however, is that it neither compensates for the guilt itself nor gets rid of the ignorance; it just makes you a Scrooge.
Denise Taylor’s column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at d.taylor@cavalierdaily.com.
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