OC Chuck

The other night, the family and I went to our City's civic center to watch the "lighting of the tree" and partake in the other activities of that evening. They had Santa Claus, Christmas carolers and choirs, a bell choir from a nearby church playing Christmas songs, a train (tram?) ride through a Christmas village, and some crafts for kids with Christmas decorations. (Recognize a theme here?)

Shortly after the festivities started came time for the major event. The incoming mayor started speechmaking, going on and on (with my son saying "Daddy, when are they going to light the Christmas tree?"). Then the sound of a motorcycle revving, and Santa is sighted, making his appearance to light the...

Freedom tree???

We didn't want to watch the lighting of a "Freedom" tree, we wanted to see the Christmas tree. Everything else there was "Christmas." Except for the tree. What was wrong with the tree?

Would there be someone there, while listening to the Christmas music, riding the Christmas train, sitting on Santa's lap, doing Christmas crafts, be offended by a "Christmas" tree?

We have what used to be known as a Christmas break - now it is a "holiday" break. If we had off for Ramadan, I wouldn't have a problem calling it "Ramadan break," or lighting a Ramadan tree, or eating Ramadan cookies, if that was what society did as a whole. If people want to walk around with dots on their foreheads, or wear orange robes and flowers, or ride bicycles while wearing suits, it doesn't offend me, knock yourselves out. But why can't my City have a Christmas tree?

I don't think we'll be going next year.

Ok, so I'm reading a post at WuzzaDem, and it has a link to another blog from the Left about Senator Webb not wanting to talk about his son at a party Bush is throwing for him and the other freshmen congresspeople. Someone named Dana from the Right side left five posts (partly talking about a trackback issue) and got banned. I decided to put in my 2 cents worth, being on my best behavior, trying to appreciate the points from the blog's author (who comments a LOT on her(?) own blog, BTW).

After I figured out that there was no way I would be taken seriously, I left some closing points, identifying that I would leave. A few posts later, after some arguments that had pretty much nothing to do with the previous discussion, the owner closed the thread. "The Mouth Breathers are leaving the usual offal on the thread, so I'm going to close it."

Maybe I'm leading a sheltered life, but on the blogs I visit regularly on the Right, they don't close the threads when they aren't getting their way. How many times do we hear that the Right is out of touch, devisive, heavy handed, etc., and it really seems that the Left are all of these things? They try to control the message, and when they can't, they shut it down. I'm a bit suprised the thread is still there.

At least I learned a new word.

Offal: n. All parts of an animal which are removed from the carcass when it is dressed for food, e.g. entrails, heart, liver, kidneys, head, tail.

According to to the above reference, I'm considered part of the stuff that made the animal tick, including the heart. Is that blog owner just an empty shell? I can accept that.