Christmas for All (or Fear Instead of Faith)

Christmas All The Time - Tom Cochrane

Ah, Christmas is upon us once again. And it doesn't much feel like Christmas. The stores are busy but not insane. People seem to be more courteous and stress-free than I have experienced in the past. Thoughts sometimes randomly come to my head and make me smile or chuckle and when I am alone driving in the vehicle and pass another motorist I often noticing them smile back at me. Little do they know it was probably a dirty thought on my part...lol! I got someone else to smile at me and I spread some joy around. The intent (or lack of) is not important. But I digress, back to Christmas... 

Random acts of kindness. In the aftermath of the tragic events that took place in Connecticut where innocent school children (age 6 and 7) were brutally slain along with several adults, the general focus has been on being kind to one another. Social media is championing a kindness pledge for people to do one random act of kindness for everyone of he 26 killed that day. Although, as a sidebar, they do forget to count the gunman and his mother in that tally of death. Regardless of our own feelings towards them, they too were loved and will be missed. The whole idea being kind is wonderful but sad in that it takes a tragedy to remind us that it should be a lifestyle not a special commemorative occasion. 

Perhaps though it is the idea that so many children will be missing out on the magic of Christmas. As a parent my heart ached for the families that on top of everything else will likely have an assortment of gifts that they bought for their children that they must deal with. To lose a child at any time is heartbreaking no doubt, but at the most celebrated family occasion, it would be so much more intense. I can't even imagine. Maybe it is a sad topic of discussion at this joyous time, but it is a reality for many. Even myself having lost my last family member nearly 30 years ago, it still aches to hear every one talk about family get-togethers at this time of year. Had I the financial means, I think I would adopt a family or person and have them over for a Christmas Day celebration of love and kindness. It was done for me by friends and it made the holiday so much more special. 

Back to random kindness, I want to give a personal shout out to a corporation that has exemplified this notion on a national level. Tim Hortons coffee shops have decided to spread a little holiday cheer by gifting a free order to random customers. This is above and beyond their participation in the annual Random Act of Kindness week held in February each year. 

It's a wonderful idea but it really should be a life choice that can begin with a designated week or aftermath of tragedy but become a daily life decision. Kindness toward fellow man because we all deserve respect regardless of age or gender etc. Holding a door, sharing change to help the shopper ahead of us, smiling at one another, using manners and being polite. Just imagine if everyone you encountered in your day practiced good manners....what a different world we would live in. No asshole to ding your car, take two spots in the parking lot, cut in front of you on the busy roads, butt in line in front of you, take their frustrations out on you. Heaven on earth indeed.

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The spirit of Christmas is about goodwill and peace and love. It is a time we think about all the people in our lives that are important to us and find some small token to show our appreciation. Okay, the size of the token is relevant to the size of our bank account and significance of the person in question. Our children may be more amply rewarded than the newspaper carrier. 

Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth - David Bowie & Bing Crosby

Looking up to the Heavens and wishing my family MERRY CHRISTMAS! Mom loved this song <3

Christmas is a time for personal reflection, a time to renew hope and cherish the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. A time to visit those who we haven't had time for in the frantic bustle of our daily lives and to give. It is one of the most charitable times of the year. Marked in a deep tradition that may have been sparked by religious beliefs it is so much more now. 

The commercialization of Christmas is only one part that leaves people feeling a bit sour. It's big business that many enterprises count on to sustain their meager existence throughout the rest of the year. Consider the floundering postal system. With the popularization of social media, the internet and e-mail the post office is in big financial trouble. Except for all the on-line shoppers that must get their packages delivered some how. This is the busiest time of the year despite the lack of Christmas cards that are dropped in the mailbox.

I applaud the Canadian government and Treasury Board President, Tony Clement for lifting the ban that prohibited Christmas related cards and decorations in Federal offices. Political correctedness be damned, it is Christmas. For too long this country has bowed to the demands of people who are coming to this country with visions of a better life and then deciding that what they really want is what they left but without the fear of personal persecution. And now I and other Canadians citizens are being persecuted for our long-held beliefs. It's wrong. I thank my Government for finally taking a stand and protecting my right too. I hope it sticks long-term and the sentiment spreads. 

How dare they? lol! :)

Of course, there has to be one that seeks his proverbial 15 minutes of fame at great expense to the tax-payer. This year, this shameful cad comes to us from 

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Some person is taking the City of Saskatoon to the Civil Rights Commission because the city transit is displaying the message "Merry Christmas" on its location banner. To their credit the city has not removed the message and given in to this idiotic complaint. What a waste of tax dollars. Don't like the bus. Take a taxi, walk or leave the country. I for one will not be forced to celebrate my religious and cultural freedoms in shame and secrecy to appease you. We may do well by him to have his psychiatrically assessed for his belief is that the Christmas message make him feel like he needs to convert to Christianity to be considered a first-class citizen. You get that from Merry Christmas? Really? It is interesting to note that he speaks with pluralised pronouns to give the impression he is not alone in his thoughts. Do real or imaginary co-horts agree with him? I will not mention his name because I really don't feel he is entitled to any more recognition. I don't know what ethnicity he is a part of or what religion (if any) he practices. Nor do I care. I call myself a Canadian because I am a proud citizen of this country. My background is European - Italian. This country prides itself in it's acceptance of cultures from around the globe. But we have to draw the line somewhere.

Many people choose to emigrate to Canada because we enjoy freedom of religion. The right to practice the religion of your choice. Not the freedom FROM religion. By stopping me from saying Merry Christmas because it offends you, is a disrespect for my rights and freedoms. For as long as Canada has been populated Christmas has been celebrated here. Don't like it...see ya. Go back to where you came from, since I assume no one says Merry Christmas there! You do have the freedom to leave. God bless Canada!

This is where you come back to the idea of the Christmas Spirit and spreading kindness and goodwill. The fact of the matter is that in this country we celebrate Christmas or at least the notion of the Christmas season. You can protest all you want but it is not likely to change. Two cashiers at the counter, one wishes a Merry Christmas, the other Happy Holidays. They both mean the same thing...every ka-ching sings Merry Christmas! If you take advantage of the day off work because Christmas is a statutory holiday, or if you accept time and a half holiday pay and still turn your nose up as I wish you a Merry Christmas you are a hypocrite. And the same goes if you take advantage of any seasonal commercial sale including Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Boxing Day sales. You are supporting Christmas and all it has to offer. As a Canadian citizen or citizen of this country you are entitled to all the benefits of the holiday just like Canada Day and the other Christian public paid holiday Easters' Good Friday. The same cannot be said for me when you want to take off work for your lesser known and not nationally celebrated holidays like Diwali or Rosh Hashana. So as a non-Christian you get more paid working days off than I do. What exactly is your complaint? Christian and non-Christian schools all reap the benefits of the Christian celebration of Christmas. Maybe you want to stay in school and/or work while the rest of the Canadians celebrate?  

When will it stop? First we are forced to abandon the Christmas tree for the holiday tree, then be damned if we utter the words Merry Christmas. God is taken out of the schools along with all prayer in favour of semi-automatic weapons and guards and locked doors. We live in fear instead of faith. 

If we don't stand up to this nonsense now, we will open the doors to the protests from the perpetual bachelors who are offended by Fathers Day. The aegist who fire off protests to the Government for reminding us of that arbitrary number society calls our living age on our drivers license. And then remind us of our mortality when at 65 they send us monthly cheques. And the life insurance company that sends a birthday card every year bringing tears to our eyes. It's offensive I tell ya! 

This madness must stop! And I am speaking of the hatred directed at the Christians who want to shout out...

MERRY CHRISTMAS! GOD BLESS US EVERYONE!

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE:

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1090911/-this-one-s-on-us-tim-hortons-spreads-holiday-cheer-with-random-cups-of-kindness

http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

Trolling for people! (or Shooting Fish in A Barrel)

Peace on Earth - U2

Another mass shooting in the United States this past week (on Friday December 14, 2012). And I am going to say it again, I don't want to celebrate the name of the shooter and have their name at the forefront of my memory. I am annoyed at myself for remembering Marc Lepine, Paul Bernardo, Ted Bundy etc but I am hard pressed to recall the victims so quickly. That's sad. 

But it is the first thing that comes out in a news story as traumatic as this. We want to know who and why. It seems to me that the perpetrator of these heinous acts seem to take the cowardly route and turn the gun on themselves before society can mete out justice. Among the bodies strewn about the location, the gunman is easily identified with weapons nearby and bullets on the person. The name is released to the media quickly. And then it is repeated over and over again. I will not fall into that frenzy again. The names of 26 victims may be a lot to recall, but I will celebrate their life and mourn their loss and their families sorrow without the attachment of the name (or mental picture of) the one who mowed them down.

And so within moments of the news leaking to the world that a gunman with an assault rifle entered the Sandy Hook elementary school in the picturesque community of Newton, Connecticut, USA and opened fire. From hallway to classroom he sprayed more than 100 bullets and 26 found their mark and claimed a life. Sadly according to some reports, after being shot from a distance the killing became up close and personal and some children were shot up to 11 times. This isn't random, to me it is a personal vendetta that he carried out - but for what reason we may only ever be able to speculate about. Maybe it doesn't really matter why? 20 children never got to give their families one last kiss, 6 adults never got to say good bye to their loved ones. 

But wait, their were two more victims. The gunman and his mother. I understand not wanting to lump the murderer in with the death toll he caused but why is his mother left out? Is it because it was her weapons that were used. Ah yes, it seems that Mom had an arsenal of hand guns and rifles and enjoyed taking her children out for a family outing of target practice. Bizarre behaviour in my mind but I live in a nation that has different outlooks on gun ownership. And this is where I am going with this.


There is no need for your average Joe Citizen to own an assault rifle or automatic weapon of any type. Certainly I think it is time that the parameters of who, how many and what types of guns should be allowed in a household in the United States. NRA be damned. The death toll would not have been so high with a single shot weapon. If there were no weapons ready for the taking in the home, the gun man may have released some of his rage before acting on it. We know that we can get our hands on a weapon if we are really intent on it, but with the time it takes to get it, our murderous rage may be calmed somewhat. But if your second amendment right to bear arms supersedes my right to life then at least please take the deadly velocity out of the equation.  

I equate hunting game with a rifle or shotgun in the same vein as fishing with a lure or live bait. One animal or fish is captured. No excessive killing. Then there is the semi-automatic or automatic weapon that has the capability to mow down an entire herd of animals in moments. Like the fishing net that captures everything in its path with no chance of survival. It is no longer a sport or survival. It is business with a devastating impact, socially or environmentally.  

Melt the Guns - XTC

Bottom line, I suppose is that a mass killing can and does happen regardless of the weapon involved. Case in point, the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City (168 people dead, many injured), the commercial airliners into the World Trade Center (2,753 dead), Jonestown massacre by poisoning (909 dead). While the number of victims here may be greater, these attacks against humanity where planned out events that took considerable time and preparation. Comparatively, Sandy Hook elementary school had fewer casualties, but an interesting analogy was brought up concerning another elementary school being targeted on the other side of our planet. In China a man with an unknown vendetta against school age children went on a spree that left 23 victims in his wake. The difference being that his weapon was a knife and there was not one fatality! The man was subdued by witnesses. I too, would risk a stab wound over a barrage of bullets to attempt to stop an attacker in his tracks. A no-brainer really. You would expend very little personal energy squeezing a trigger than you would pounding a knife through flesh and bone.  

                                                                        

But this tragedy is really not just about the argument for or against gun ownership. It is about mental illness as well. For I think it is safe to say that someone who flies into a murderous rage and takes a weapon to slaughter countless innocent people before himself is not quite right in the head. Whether it is a means to an end in seeking revenge and final retribution for wrongs that have been committed against the attacker, or some perverse ideal of achieving infamy and notoriety for all the days after our life - the thinking process is skewed. 

Considering this picture, it is true that the steps are harder to climb than it is to walk into the visually attracting gun store, but sometimes we have to swallow some of our own pride to reach out and climb those stairs. It is not an easy thing for people to go against societal expectations and admit that we are weak and incapable of handling life and need help. And often times we don't know ourselves that we need help and can't cope on our own. But that doesn't mean that it is society's fault if we don't recognize that need. Some people go to the doctor for a small ache or pain and practice preventative care, some people are riddled with cancer before they know something is not right. The same can and does hold true for mental illness. We don't necessarily know that the way we view the world is skewed, our neighbours and society tell us that problems are solved with guns. Movies and media preach the notoriety garnered by revenge. It's what we learn and know. Restriction of access to guns will not stop mass violence against humanity but it might make it harder. What the US is doing now sure isn't working! 

I'm familiar with the mental health system in Canada. Unless you are in crisis (ready to snap) there are simply not enough professional to care for the growing number of people who are having difficulty coping with society's expectations. And of course there are always abuses to the system that makes it harder for those in real need. For every little misbehaviour it seems that parents are running to look for a diagnosis to be used as an excuse for what is nothing more than lack of effective parenting. And where there is a real problem with a dysfunctional teen, parents are often oblivious because of the demands that are placed on them from family and work obligations. 

I don't know what the answer is. I do know that someone had to recognize when I was in crisis and take steps to remedy it because I wasn't climbing those stairs to shout it out for the world to hear.  

If someone has it in their head that they are going out with a bang, banning gun ownership is not going to stop them. We can't outlaw knife ownership, and certainly vehicles have been used to intentionally kill the innocent. We can't ban cars. Most schools are locked to the public, but there will always be the crack that someone slips through. Tragedy on a grand scale can happen at a school, business, shopping venue or public transit. We can't prevent it all but we have to try and make it harder to do the deed and help the ones we can. That is all



Final note: Morgan Freeman has had some words to share about this topic and it isn't difficult to find the associated commentary shared all over social media sites.  I would like to share that according to snopes.com, Morgan Freeman never made the comments attributed to him. But I did! The synopsis of his first paragraph is found in my musings from October 2012 entitled You Don't Have to Win the Race to Succeed! This is the link. http://pinkpantherfancanada.blogspot.ca/2012/10/you-dont-have-to-win-race-to-succeed_9.html

Final Final note: There was a lot of commentary about this subject posted on the internet and on social media and much centered around the unprovoked attack, gun ownership and mental illness. But there was one comment that was different and stopped me in my tracks to re-read it several times. While expressing great sorrow and compassion for the victims and families in Connecticut, there was a resentment that hundreds of children have been massacred at the hands of the US Drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen. On one hand the American people are expected to be grief stricken by the senseless actions of a madman while at the same time be supportive of the government and people who continue to kill children and innocent people off their shores filling an agenda that is possibly just as insane. But permissible and not questioned in the name of war. Hmmmm?

Credit where credit is due:
snopes.com
pinkpantherfancanada.blogspot.ca