"Merry Xmas" without much of the "Merry"

There have been two topic in the news within the last week that have really gotten my attention, and made me consider “faith” and the effect it has on our society. It's interesting because I find myself disagreeing with a lot of the statements that are being made on facebook and other media forums. It's funny because the first is kinda stating “Religion (or more specifically christianity) is the root of all of our society's problems” and the other is “If we allowed God in our schools, this wouldn't have happened”. I agree with neither of these statements.

I consider myself an agnostic person. On a scale of 1 to 10 how much I feel religion is important to my life it's probably sitting at a -2. If all religion disappeared tomorrow, my life would be effected very little. That being said I HATE when religion is pushed on me like some kind of drug. I am always polite when those door knockers come to my door to try to convert me to whatever, but I really do have the urge to roll my eyes, say “UGH!” and slam the door in their faces. I also react similarly when people are posting their bible passages all over facebook...But everyone is entitled to their opinions. I don't need to be rude because I don't agree with theirs. If you want to be part of some religion, go nuts. Just don't try to shove it down my throat.

Ok, so the first of two topics is something that everyone who lives is Saskatoon has heard about to death. There was a complaint filed against Saskatoon Transit because many of their busses have the scrolling text “Merry Christmas” running right now. This guy gave them 10 days to remove the scrolling text or he would file a complaint with the Human Rights commission.

I think this is stupid. In my opinion, wishing someone a Merry Christmas is a good sentiment, someone wishing you well. Not someone trying to convert you to their religion, or pressuring you to celebrate christmas, or trying to make you feel ostracized because you don't celebrate it. To me, complaining about someone wishing you a Merry Christmas because you don't celebrate it is like someone saying “Good Morning” to you and complaining about it because the place that you call home it is currently nighttime and you are offended because it's not morning everywhere! As if that is so inconsiderate.

Now, I realize that I do celebrate Christmas, so that makes me somewhat bias, but I don't celebrate it in a christian type way. In fact, this year, I am making a point of spelling it “Xmas” at every opportunity. My bestie told me that when she was working at a Catholic School daycare, she had it written this way in her dayplanner and one of the kids came up to her and said that by writing it that way you are Xing the “Christ” out of Christmas. I completely agree. So I am taking him outta there! My christmas has nothing to do with him, so I guess I celebrate Xmas, not Christmas. My Xmas is about spending time with my family, appreciating the winter weather, and having a few days off. So there.

And for the record if anyone wishes me a Merry Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Holidays... whatever, I will not be offended. I will appreciate that you were wishing me well.

The second topic is an international story that has devistated so many and reminded us all about the evil that there is in this world. What precicely is the root of that evil you can determine for yourself, but it is undeniably there.

I cuddled Rosalie so tight on Friday. I couldn't imagine what pain those families must be in. Those poor little innocent lives taken so early, and those brave staff members that did everything they could to try and save them, and successfully save so many others. They have my thoughts, and they have my heart.

When horrible events like this happen we all jump to blame something or someone. I myself jumped to complain about gun control in the United States. This was probably erroneous, especially since the investigation proved that the firearms used were obtained legally and were registered. Mental Health Care, poor parenting, among many other factors have been blamed on my facebook feed the last few days.

The one that drives me up the wall is the opinion that removing religion from schools is to blame. I have seen the following picture posted several times on facebook....

And then there was this other post, claiming to be a statement made by the father of Rachel Scott, one of the victims of the Columbine Massacre in 1999 stating that it was the lack of god in our schools that caused the massacre, that if there were prayer in schools this wouldn't have happened. This is such clearly flawed logic that it makes me SO MAD! Is that saying that this will never happen in a catholic school? That religion in schools would somehow work better than metal detectors? That putting crosses up around the school would change some mentally ill person's mind? That christian people would never go kill others? I think there are about 1000 years worth of wars to say otherwise. People may take comfort in religion after the fact, but it is ludicrous to think that it could have prevented it. That's like saying if those little 6 and 7 year olds had prayed a little harder maybe they wouldn't be dead. That's bullshit. And it makes me SO MAD that people can just dismiss everything that happened as justification for blaming the removal of religion from public schools. Don't bother looking at the REAL issues, just put jesus back in our schools.... makes me SO MAD!  

I know this is just another finger pointing at someone to blame, but I read a statement that was supposedly from Morgan Freeman, it wasn't (It was actually from a guy named Mark in Vancouver, but it went viral because someone took it and claimed that Morgan Freeman said it), but it made a lot of sense, and I will try to remember this in the future.

“You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.

It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theatre shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? (I do, Rachel Scott. Her dad makes me crazy)

Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care centre or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news.”

I am doing my best to forget the guy's name that did this. I am doing my best to try to remember every name of the little angels that had the great misfortune of being in the wrong classroom on a bad day, or the teachers and other staff members that when above and beyond their job description to try to save as many of the students as possible.

I'm doing my best to choose love, and not hate. I just get a little ranty sometimes...