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Show lnion The College Times MONDAY, December 3, 2007 will Worship Jesus or the terrorists officials opted to remove the eight Christmas trees on display after a Opinions editor local Rabbi, Elazar Bogomilsky Thanksgiving has come and requested they erect an eight-foot gone. Now students find them- menorah in honor of Jewish travselves rededicating to their stud- elers. Bogomilsky's attorney, Haries in hopes of pulling their grades vey Grad, told The Seattle Times up since the midterm lapse. Last that the FBI got involved in the assignments are being turned in, ensuing furor once Bogomilsky final exams are being written and started receiving death threats. Oh, tidings of comfort and a few of the more merciful proJoy! fessors are offering extra credit What has to be the most absurd assignments. This all means that thing about this contrived war is the Christmas season is officially that in a country whose populace upon us. is 80 percent Christian, accordIt's a season of giving, of sharing to a 2002 poll conducted by ing with one another, of spendthe Pew Global Attitudes Project, ing, time with family and close the prospect of removing religious Mends. > $v It is also a season of war, of di- holidays from the public square visive rhetoric and false-flag ma- would be an un-winnable battle.^ What's more, the current;ovSx"; neuvering. At least that has been ly commercialized state of, !&e case for the last three years Christmas practices are with Fox News commentator Bill probably the strongest P-Reilly. ; fa-•• Every Christmas since the 2004 enemy to faith and reReason, O'Reilly has launched ligious holidays currently {what he would have the public in existence. Consider this: in the i| believe is an expose* on a "secupost-911 era, American lar, humanist conspiracy" to recitizens have been en- *' ntove all religious, traditions from couraged to observe any the public square^™ order to pass and all holidays with parunpopular legislation such as the ticular fervor as a show of legalization of drugs and prostiour resolve to live life tution, gay marriage and at-will abortions. According to O'Reilly, as we always have. the destruction of Christmas would This has created a social environment be their coup de grace. Last year, Seattle-Tacoma In- in which faith, patrioternational Airport become the pri- tism, and the nationalist identity mary battleground of the so called paradigm are all rolled into one "war on Christmas," after airport rather nebulous concept. The result has been the corruption and Jared Magill Street' sendof-year gloom and doom reports' prompt moderation in spending. Max out your credit cards or the terrorists will win. bastardization of all three. Though unspoken,, current holiday philosophies can be readily observed in the behavior of the public at large. Buy a bigger TV or the terrorists will win. Camp overnight in the parking lot of the local Target store to ensure completion of all shopping lists because Jesus wants you to be happy*.1 ••) , Retailers now;'••'-% , attempt ,, to launch 'She Christmas season as early as Sept. 1, in hopes of spurring early shopping before Wall Affluence and self-indulgence are the requisite virtues among all God-fearing patriots. It's not Christmas anymore. It's a three-month long version of Fat Tuesday sponsored in part by Wal-Mart, the Republican Party and the Department of Homeland Security. If there are those who wish to remove any religious connotation from seasonal celebrations, their efforts should not be seen so much as an assault on the spirit of Christmas but a requiem for something that is already dead. The de-publicizing of Christmas would probably affect some sort of renewal or purification of its true spirit. In past wartimes like WWI and WWII, it was customary to call a truce during the week between Christmas and New Year's. If only there was somebody who might send O'Reilly a formal request for a holiday truce, which he could read right after he gets done drinking blood from the neck stumps of beheaded babies. It might be the only way to enjoy a little peace on earth for a few weeks. But he probably wouldn't be Christian enough to accept it. WisofWordsclom Staff editorial Is cultural pluralism anti-patriotism? I think not. In recent weeks, there has been a considerable amount of coverage of a Spanish news broadcast pioneered by Veronica Lopez here at UVSC, in coordination with the communications department and Netxnews. Information. on her mission is available on THe Daily Herald's Web page in an article titled "UVSC launches Spanish language broadcast," while The College Times has reported on the public criticism expressed regarding her weekly broadcasts in the news section of this issue. 'ySince The College Times and the Netxnews broadcast' teams are often intimately involved, there may be a definite bias associated with a response to the criticism they have received. Indeed, The College Times regularly interacts with Lopez and her staff, many times borrowing from each other's talent and contributing to each other's coverage of campus and community events. Although we feel a certain amount of personal concern over the treatment their staff has received, there are also broader issues raised throughout this recent dialogue that should be of concern, not only to our students, but to those participating in all educational settings within our surrounding community. First, I think a little lesson in sociology will help bring the issue to light. In a Web forum comment on The Daily Herald's Web page, one reader argued, "If you want to assimilate into a country, you would think that English would be a priority." The argument that assimilation should be a national policy is an aggressive strategy pioneered by dominant groups. Yes, it may either parallel or op- tflN pose the efforts of a minority group, but by definition, it is a policy enacted by those who have the power, privileges and higher social status to pursue it with policy. Prejudice may only be an attitude towards minorities, but discrimination is when you act upon those attitudes, such as the author's further comment that "I won't be supporting UVSC in anything anymore." Furthermore, what of comments that UVSC is discriminating against other languages such as "French, German and Dutch" by not pursuing broadcasts in those languages? Let's take a look at those ethnic groups. First off, they are not minority groups. Minority groups are groups singled out for unequal treatment on the basis of their identification with certain cultural characteristics. If UVSC were broadcasting in any of these languages, no one would find this threatening because there is little stigma attached to saying that anyone of us is half-French, one-quarter German, with a cousin twice removed who is Dutch. Because let's face it, lucky for them, they are all still white, right? Not having a Mandarin Chinese broadcast on our campus seemed to particularly offend many of the forum authors, although it was noted that this is because "Communist China is being built up as [a] superpower." When the dominant group sees any threat, it attacks, regardless of whether they realize that China's recent economic and political gains are a direct result of their instituting democratic and capitalistic policies. But I gueds there is never room for two at the top, right? Lastly, arguments that Lopezes newscasts are furthering the language barrier seems the most charming. I guess when our constitution protects freedom of speech what it really means is freedom for all English speakers. The real barrier here is not with Mexicans and South American immigrants who refuse to learn English. Contrary to popular belief, it is for their own economic survival that they learn English, although the 40, 50, 60 or more hours per week it takes to actually survive on minimum wages might make it a bit difficult to make it to English language night classes. The real problem is with an ideological mindset that fears cultural pluralism and refuses to adequately fund public school programs that produce multi-lingual and multicultural Americans. When UVSC tried to implement the diversity requirement for all undergraduate degrees, there was this same decry among a few in the community, that, as one eloquent forum author argued, "[it's] just another way the illegals are milking the system." When it comes down to it, Lopez is not only trying to inform Hispanic students on local issues, she is showing a deep appreciation of her own cultural heritage. This is what the dominant group really fears because a true appreciation of the integrity inherent in a minority's culture might make the immigration laws and social policies that discriminate against these groups actually feel racist to those that enact them, rather than just being ideologically ethnocentric and intolerant. It is a whole lot easier for people to frame those they discriminate against as subhuman or "out to get them" than to humanize their situation and reform social inequalities. Football in theory and practice Dave Gillespie And now Brothers and Sisters, lets turn to Austin Collie's post game remarks. "I wouldn't say it was lucky," said the It has been over a week since our big former freshman All-American, "We exbrother in Provo completed its dramatic vic- ecuted the play well. We should have had tory over our sister from the North, 17-10. another one [touchdown]. Obviously, if If there are lessons to be learned from this you do what's right on and off the field, I rivalry, it is this: UVSC students shouldn't think the Lord steps in and plays a part in feel guilty for cheering BYU football and, it. Magic happens." second, if you are white and Mormon, do And just as when Bronco Mendenhall not bear your testimony to the media. quoted scripture to the media a couple of First to the former. There has been a years ago, the press has turned this recent long-standing feeling from our student comment into Watergate II. Sports talk government and even this newspaper that radio especially has mocked and gnashed BYU is our rival. They should be hated and its teeth. 1280 the Zone's Gordon Monson no apparel of theirs whatsoever should be (who by the way, was one of the first to worn. cry about Mendenhall's press conference) Two examples: an acquaintance on called the statement "ofstudent government fensive." loathes the fact NetxSuch a statement may news shows BYU not be totally accurate, highlights (and just to but to put things into perIfyou are white and demonstrate his lack of spective, remember Colreality, he guaranteed Mormon, do not lie is Mormon, less than UVSC would have a a year removed from the bear your testimony football team in the mission where praying, next couple of years) to the media.*'••••• keeping mission rules and when yours truly and working hard went applied for ASUVSC, hand in hand in missionhe was partly denied ary mentality, and, oh because he was an yeah, completed a heck unforgiving BYU fan. Second, distinct of a reception when it looked like BYU student leaders - including our own Spirit was going to lose at home to Utah for the Chair - actually attend the games and even third time in a row. better, wear blue! Furthermore, remember its not just It is a crime for our die-hard Wolver- BYU kids who are giving the Lord credit. ine fans to insist we cheer for UVSC in all Countless number of players from teams in thought, place and circumstance when, in the "Bible Belt" are constantly on national fact, our athletic department lacks Amer- television giving all credit to their maker. ica's favorite sport, while just down the Most would agree life success is based road the opportunity is provided to not just on hard work and getting the breaks. But watch football, but to be entertained watch- the argument is made if God cares about ing a Top 25 team playing in a nationally football enough to let the Mormon on BYU top-five rivalry game. BYU is a rival to the succeed what about the temple-worthy-RM green and yellow only when we randomly Mormon on the Utes? Such a statement is play them in volleyball. And consider- accurate, but consider this: if you were in ing we haven't beaten them ever, it really the Ute secondary that got burned on 4th isn't anything different than BYU playing and 18, who would you rather be beaten Westminster. by: God or Austin Collie? Opinions contributor t()e College Times xmsljes you a tfiougl)tfuf fioliSay season. 2k sure to picfi us up in 2008! |