Just for the record: when I tell someone “Merry Christmas,” I’m not throwing a shout-out to Republican narratives, or parroting a GOP talking point. I’m wishing the person a Merry Christmas.
Come to think of it, that’s really the gist of the matter. Far left-leaning media reporters seemingly are throwing shout-outs to political narratives when they give people good wishes. Otherwise, they wouldn’t assume that’s what everyone is doing.
Which is what happened in Justice Neil Gorsuch’s case. This week he was on Fox & Friends, and on being greeted by the anchor, said, “Merry Christmas!”
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch just appeared on Fox and Friends this morning, making a point to parrot the "Merry Christmas" talking point of the GOP. If he's willing to go on Fox and throw a shout out to Republican narratives, what ele is he willing to do? pic.twitter.com/doJ5BUEFQg
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) December 17, 2019
Now, Supreme Court justices rarely make TV appearances. (They do, on the other hand, speak in public venues quite often. They make political comments at such events on a regular basis. That’s not what Gorsuch was doing here.)
Gorsuch was on Fox & Friends for an interview in conjunction with the release of his new book, A Republic, If You Can Keep It. Other than this appearance, it’s safe to assume Gorsuch will not be interviewed on Fox & Friends for any purpose for the rest of this year, and probably not for months or even years into the future.
So, being a Christian himself, knowing there are millions of Christians in America, and being certain that he won’t have another opportunity to say “Merry Christmas” in such a venue before 25 December, Gorsuch opened with, “Merry Christmas!”
This is what Christians who are joyful about the approach of Christmas do. It has nothing to do with politics or Republican narratives or talking points. Or Democratic narratives, for that matter.
People who hate hearing “Merry Christmas” can make it about their political narratives if they want. But that doesn’t make it inherently political. What it is inherently is a wish for a merry Christmas, which each person can process as he or she pleases.
Naturally, if I know I’m addressing a Muslim, I don’t jump in his face to give him Christmas greetings. Some Muslims aren’t offended; others are. Be polite if you don’t know. Same with Jews, Hindus, and others. I’ve found most people to be polite about these things. I certainly take no offense at being greeted with good wishes on the occasion of someone else’s holiday.
But the bottom line is that Christmas was never a GOP talking point. It’s a Christian holiday, and wishes for a merry one are a holiday greeting.
Christmas, to the extent it’s a political talking point, is a talking point for people who want to squelch public and social references to it. Wanting to make it illegitimate to be joyful about Christmas on the airwaves or in the public square is the political motive.
Wishing an American TV audience a Merry Christmas isn’t political at all. (Nor would it be political to wish the audience a Happy Hanukkah, for that matter, or a Happy New Year at Rosh Hashanah, or a Happy Easter or Passover; or give wishes for a good Eid.)
Likewise, omitting to greet others in the names of the holidays they celebrate is also not political or offensive.
The only political act is attempting to force everyone to make these social observances in exactly the same manner. Wanting to do that doesn’t make holiday greetings an inherently political issue. It makes such advocates people who can’t see anything outside the framework of politics and enforced modes of thought.
Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Best of the season to all.
