Christmas may be over, but, as we’ve already reported once this year, the War on Christmas isn’t.
Last December, Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of Liberty Institute in Texas, wrote an opinion-editorial titled, “Yes, Virginia, there really is a war on Christmas.”
In it Shackelford outlined examples of attempts to censor Christmas celebrations around the country. Most of this censorship involves removing the religious elements from Christmas.
Now Todd Starnes and the American Family Association are reporting some disturbing news related to the Veterans Administration. According to Starnes, last month the VA
- Censored a school choir who came to sing at the VA hospital in Augusta, Georgia, because their Christmas songs included the words “Christmas” and “Jesus;”
- Told American Legion volunteers they could not hand out gifts to veterans if the wrapping paper included the words “Merry Christmas;”
- Turned away at least one Alabama woman distributing Christmas gifts to veterans because the wrapping paper she used included the words “Merry Christmas;” and
- Rejected handwritten Christmas cards from Dallas schoolchildren because the cards contained phrases like “Merry Christmas” and “God Bless You.”
This situation is just bizarre. As we have written over and over again, Christmas is a federal holiday; our state and federal governments recognize it; our courts have ruled time and again there is nothing wrong with that.
With that in mind, why turn away schoolchildren who want to honor our veterans with Christmas songs or cards? Why reject Christmas gifts? It simply does not make sense.
