Scrooge Donohue

John Donovan in an ABC news report today gives William Donohue of the Catholic League For Christian Rights a lot of airtime. Seems Donohue and the League are upset with President and Mrs. Bush because they sent out a Christmas card that he interprets as secular. Now the card I got (and probably 200 million others, as well), although it had a picture of the White House, Barney, Ms. Beasley and the cat on the front, quoted Psalms on the inside. "The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts;so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him."

You have to be pretty hard hearted not to take great comfort in those words from the President of the United States. And you have a very limited idea of what Christmas is if you think the President should narrow his focus to one group at this season.

Now I'm the first to yell "Merry Christmas" and to boycott stores who resort to only "Happy Holidays" and call a Christmas tree a "Holiday Tree." That goes entirely too far. But let's look at the season and at the President's Christmas wish.

After the quote from Psalms 28:7 (Revised Standard Version), the message is "With best wishes for a holiday season of hope and happiness. 2005"

We are a Christian nation, yes. And that should be our major focus. But that doesn't mean we leave out the Jews, whose Hannukah celebration has always coincided with the Christmas season. Mr. Bush is President of the Jews, too, and this season is their holiday as well. Our Jewish friends have always celebrated both holidays with presents; their children got a double treat every year.

Then there's the African-American community who, back in the '60s or so, decided to create their own celebration, Kwanza. Since they are American citizens and they chose the Christmas season to celebrate, of course the President of the United State wants to wish them happiness as well. So he did -- in this case, and especially with a quote from the Judeo/Christian heritage, he was absolutely correct to send everyone who celebrates the season best wishes.

So Scrooge Donohue with the selfish and hardened heart, here's wishing you a happy Christmas, a joyous Hannukah and a happy Kwanza. It's a Judeo/Christian holiday, but people of all faiths celebrate it and with love as its message, it's simply not fitting to join the Bash Bush Bandwagon over his Christmas card.