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Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Dennis Prager :: Townhall.com Columnist
Taking back our country -- one way to begin
by Dennis Prager
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One of the most common questions I am asked is, "What can I, a simple citizen, do to make our country better?"

The answer: Change the little things first. Most people who are worried about the direction of our country think that all the battles are big ones. But we cannot win any of the big ones if we keep losing the small ones.

Here is a seemingly small project that any American who works at almost any company can initiate. If successful, it will send shockwaves through the country: Rename your company's "holiday" party a Christmas party.

Nothing is quite as symbolic of the narcissism at the heart of contemporary "progressive" policies than the belief that because there are non-Christian employees at a company, its Christmas party may not be called one. Who do 5 percent of the employees think they are that they feel empowered to demand that the other 95 percent not celebrate their party with the name that they want? And what kind of mindset denies a company the right to celebrate a national holiday?

"Ah, but we want to be inclusive," the professional sensitivity staff will reply.

But, dear sensitivity trainer, how is inviting me, a Jew who does not celebrate Christmas, to the company's Christmas party not inclusive? Isn't inviting me by definition inclusive? And if it isn't, perhaps to be really inclusive, given that I keep kosher, you'll have to refrain from serving shellfish or pork products. And you better not serve tea or any other caffeinated products because of the Mormons at your company.

In fact, to be really inclusive, you better drop the word "holiday." One company employee told me that a fellow worker, a Jehovah's Witness, had mentioned that because he is forbidden from celebrating holidays, he could attend the holiday party only if the company dropped the word "holiday." So maybe the sensitivity crowd should just call it "a party"?

But even that might not be inclusive enough. What about those who are forbidden to party (e.g., certain fundamentalists and Jews who are in mourning)? For their sakes, let's not even call it a party.

I was raised to believe that unless the majority is engaged in evil, one honors the majority's will. If a religious, racial or atheist minority member can't abide the name "Christmas," it is entirely his or her problem, not the majority's. Demanding that the vast majority of one's fellow workers deny the holiday they all celebrate just to make a few people more comfortable (especially when their discomfort is only a sign of narcissism) is morally indefensible. Continued...

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About The Author
Dennis Prager is a radio show host, contributing columnist for Townhall.com, and author of 4 books including Happiness Is a Serious Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual.
 
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