A city in Wisconsin is calling for a ban of the colors red and green when used as the only colors in any Christmas decorations on all city property.
Melissa Cantarero Weiss, deputy city administrator for Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, said the banning of using only red and green colors is to create a "welcoming and inclusive environment" for the holidays.
In addition to a ban on using the color red and green exclusively, the city is also banning all religious decorations. Employees of Wauwatosa are encouraged to decorate with "neutral and inclusive decorations that celebrate the season without favoring any particular faith belief system."
Apparently, some people visiting City Hall in the past have complained about religious displays and the city wants to do more to not make anyone feel "discomfort" during the holidays.
This is "WOKENESS GONE WILD!" I respect separation of church and state and spent time on my talk show this week talking about how the introduction of Christianity invites the inclusion of other religions and belief systems, but the banning of the exclusive use of red and green colors is absurd.
The red and green colors associated with Christmas are reflective of the pagan symbols of Christmas and the colors do not hold intrinsic religious value.
There was a time in America when Christmas decorations and symbols were acceptable and respect for separation of church and state should not include the banning of the pagan symbols of Christmas. And who are these people who are offended by the sight of Christmas decorations? Have we become so fragile and we can no longer accept the visual sight of anything relating to Christmas?
What happened to "live and let live?" Atheists and people with non-Christian beliefs should not be so offended at the sight of a Christmas decoration that they must demand the removal of such symbols.
There is nothing in the Constitution that guarantees that any individual will not feel offended at times. We are all exposed to things we may consider offensive. I fear that many of those who actually complain about being exposed to Christmas symbols are using the opportunity to feel a sense of power through their demands being met.
Christians should also not be sensitive to the idea of Hanukkah decorations and symbols being displayed during that season - or Kwanzaa decorations and symbols going up after Christmas.
The story of a Wisconsin town banning the use of red and green colors in Christmas decorations is a story that defines America. When did we become such an intolerant nation? When did you stop appreciating each other's different beliefs? And when did we become so fragile that we can no longer bear the sight of anything that represents the things we do not believe in?
The other important reason for bringing up this story is to remind Americans how many people will take one case and blow it up to a representation of the entire country? This is one city in Wisconsin that is banning red and green being used to celebrate Christmas. There will be those who will take to social media and use this one story to instill fear that America is losing its right to celebrate Christmas. That is clearly not the case, but that will not stop some from using this story to create hysteria. People did this when the drag queens reading to kids in libraries was trending daily in the news. A single story of one drag queen getting out of control and doing something inappropriate was presented as the new norm in schools and libraries across America. That was not the truth.
This is a reminder that when you see a story on social media or on one of the media outlets that cater to right-wing radicals, you stop and think about whether this is really an issue or a calculated attempt to scare Americans into voting for a certain candidate.
We have the power to resist becoming part of the United States of Hysteria and realize that news stories are often exaggerated to support political agendas.
