And another good one from my beloved ARI:

Dear Editor:

The attempts by governmental bodies around the country to eliminate
the term "Christmas" are being perpetrated largely in the name of
"political correctness"--to avoid offending anyone, particularly
Muslims, whose beliefs would exclude them from any Christmas
celebrations.

These efforts represent, not secularism, but the standard liberal,
subjectivist philosophy of multiculturalism, which seeks to prohibit
any "offensive" actions and words--and it is a philosophy that
should be denounced.

Christmas can be celebrated as an entirely secular holiday, and public
schools should therefore be permitted to do so. The prohibition
against the endorsement of religion by governmental entities, however,
is an entirely different matter: it is a Constitutional issue of
separation of church and state. While public schools may
celebrate Christmas, they have no right to make it into a religious
observance, by featuring explicitly religious themes like the
Nativity.

The essential point that needs to be emphasized in this issue is that
the separation of church and state is a principle that is not
synonymous with the politically correct notion of
showing "sensitivity" to everyone's beliefs. The government
may--and should--engage in actions that offend certain viewpoints,
such as the viewpoints that are hostile to freedom and individual
rights; government must, however--in order to preserve freedom and
individual rights--refrain from supporting religion.

Dr. Yaron Brook, president of the Ayn Rand Institute

2121 Alton Parkway #250
Irvine, CA 92606
949-222-6550 ext. 226



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