It is with much chagrin I admit to anybody now that not two months ago I vehemently supported and endorsed John LaFleur (“Scholarships bring discrimination,” SN 10/25) after his column concerning reverse discrimination in education and academia (“Racial discrimination is part of scholarship process,” SN 10/23). After reading what could only be called bigoted zealot tripe, I now wish I had known LaFleur’s true nature as a brainwashed fundamentalist months ago.
In his recent opinion column, LaFleur launches into a rabid fury of Jew, black and pagan bashing (“Retailers sold out Christmas to be politically correct,” SN 11/30). His disgusting belittlement of Hanukkah’s worthiness to stand in the same month as Christmas is mind-boggling. Anyone with any sense of realism knows that the Jewish community did not just decide one day to stand up and steal December from Christians. While I may not understand the depth to which Hanukkah means to a Jewish person, I can assure you, LaFleur, that your persecution complex is completely unfounded. Hanukkah is a very important holiday on the Jewish calendar, and it is not drummed up to steal the limelight, as you seem to believe.
Finally, and most ignorantly, LaFleur, you decided to attack pagans. Being so obviously fundamentalist, you either don’t know or don’t want to admit that Christmas was actually a feast held at many different times of the year until Pope Julius I decided to lock it at Dec. 25 deliberately to aid in converting pagans. Many of the Christmas standards come from pagan tradition, most notably the Christmas tree. Pagans noticed that during the dead of winter, the fir tree remained alive and vigorous while all other trees seemed to die. They brought this tree into their houses in hopes that its virility and power would help them ward off illness and to remain alive during the cold winter months. They decorated it with leaves and things of nature, not with intestines and brains for sacrifice to some vicious, evil god. Only the most ignorant fool believes still pagans sacrifice living things to win favor from their gods.
The most important thing I think you seem to forget here, LaFleur, is that the holiday season has evolved. We don’t all blindly insist that there is only one true way anymore. The thing that is common among all religions during this season is that it is a time of reflection, appreciation for what we have, and gathering with our family to share our lives with each other. It’s not about whose religion is worthy of commercialization and whose is not. It is about love and appreciation. Period. There is no need to turn yet another thing in this world into a militant “us” against “them” kind-of-thing. So put down the Bible, LaFleur, and pick up the eggnog. Happy holidays.
Roger Smith
journalism junior
