Can’t wrap up spirit of season

FLO MARTIN

The holiday spirit is in the air -- Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas.

Joy, love, giving and receiving, adoration, lights and religious

celebration all remain very politically correct.

In recent years, our own American Civil Liberties Union has

actively pursued an agenda of banning symbols of religious activity

from any public property. After all, God forbid anyone be offended.

Well, now I read that the ACLU is getting Scrooged.

Because of outside pressure, a high school principal last week

canceled a showing of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” The kids

had been rehearsing for several months, so this last-minute

cancellation took everyone by surprise, even a die-hard,

self-proclaimed secularist and agnostic journalist who wrote that

“something crucial is being lost, especially in the schools.” Now

that’s a twist this reader didn’t expect.

Talk about schools losing out. In France, some 5% of everyone’s

taxes is dedicated to maintaining all those wonderful Gothic

cathedrals. Officially, 95% of the population claims to be Catholic.

In truth, la Republique Francaise claims to be staunchly secular.

Just this past year, the powers that be in Paris voted to ban all

head-scarf-wearing Muslim girls from all national public schools.

Muslim head scarves are reportedly an expression of religious faith

and must be banned from public places. The girls had a choice: no

scarf or no school. Impossible, you say? Ah, non, c’est la realite in

France. Not here, though. As an occasional substitute high school

teacher and as a college instructor, I see religious head scarves all

over Orange County. So, ACLU -- don’t even think it!

Nowadays, ACLU-inspired lawsuits are losing. Just last month, a

federal court heard a case that centered around a private religious

display on the front lawn of the city hall in Cranston, R.I. Some

smart cookie in Cranston had a brilliant idea -- open up the City

Hall lawns to private holiday displays. Several citizen groups

erected “donations,” both secular and religious. A posted disclaimer

stated: “The public displays are strictly from private citizens or

groups. They in no way represent an official view of the City of

Cranston, nor are they endorsed by the city.” The judge ruled in

favor of the displays. Way to go, Cranston!

I must admit that some magical moments are lost forever. Take for

example, a children’s elementary school choir singing “Silent Night.”

That moment came for me just before Christmas, 1973. My job at the

time was part-time classroom aide at Sonora School in Costa Mesa. The

teacher in charge -- let’s just call her Mary, because that’s her

name -- invited me along to her students’ Christmas concert

rehearsal. We all went to the multi-purpose room, the kids all

climbed up on the risers, and Mary and I went over to a side table. I

started to correct a set of papers, but had to stop when the kids

sang. Mary glanced over in my direction and understood why. Flo’s

eyes needed windshield wipers, big time! The tears literally

streamed. The beauty of little children and “Silent Night” or “Joy to

the World” or “Little Drummer Boy” is no more. Now the kiddies sing

about snowmen, sleigh bells and Santa. Not exactly what I consider

peace on earth.

This writer is an incurable optimist. She sees the tide turning.

Courts are ruling in favor of Christmas displays and Christmas music

allowed on public school buses. Department stores have been boycotted

for replacing the word “Christmas.” Lawyers in Chicago are decrying

what they call the censoring of Christmas in public schools. The

National Assn. of Lawyers has sent letters to school administrators

indicating that the association won’t file lawsuits or protests over

discussion of religious practices during the holiday season.

Newport-Mesa’s very own “Christmas” boat parade uses a public

waterway, the Newport Harbor, to celebrate the season. We see boats

decorated with sparkling lights in shape of palm trees, stars of

David, crosses, Santas and much, much more. We hear boat captains,

over their loudspeakers, wish the onlookers “Merry Christmas” and

encourage everyone to yell back the same. No way can the ACLU demand

that the Newport-Mesa boat people cease and desist. No way can the

ACLU state that the boaters and their audiences are violating the 1st

Amendment because of religious expression on public property. There’s

just no way that we will forget Christmas at this time of year.

The Daily Pilot’s own Maxine Cohen -- God bless her -- started out

her column this past week with, “It’s hard to miss that Christmas is

coming up fast.” She wrote about the need for “love, peace, joy,

being grateful and appreciating one another.” Maxine, I salute you.

Yes, yes, yes -- our holiday spirit, both yours and mine, rules 24-7.

The holiday spirit is inclusive, not exclusive. The holiday spirit

doesn’t censor. The Grinch tried. Scrooge tried. The ACLU tried. They

have failed. You simply can’t cleanse the “Christmas” out. You simply

can’t stop people of faith during their time of celebration. You

simply can’t stop us from wishing one another joy and peace,

especially now. God knows, we need it.

* FLO MARTIN is a Costa Mesa resident and faculty member at Cal

State Fullerton.