By Devvy Kidd
November 13, 2003
NewsWithViews.com
While walking
through the doors today at the local office supply conglomerate here in
Annapolis,
I was immediately overwhelmed by the massive display of "Christmas"
stuff. While my writing
generally focuses on national issues, I would like to take this
opportunity to ask each reader this question:
Whose birthday is December 25th?
This is the very
question I put to my family several years ago as they all began the
worrisome
"What can I buy for my relative" syndrome. Each member of my family
responded: Well, Christmas
is the day Jesus was born.
Ah! Now we're making
progress. My next question to each member of my family was: If December
25th
is the day Christians celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, why do you run out every
year and put yourself in debt to buy me a birthday present? It's not my
birthday.
Each family member
simply came back with the standard herding response: Well, because
we've
always bought each other presents.
I again came back
with the original question: Why do you feel compelled to buy me a
present to
celebrate the birth of Jesus?
It was at that time
that I told my family no more presents. No more this pressure of having
to spend
money you don't have and run around like a crazy person from the day
after Thanksgiving up until
Christmas eve just to have presents under a tree. Not for me because I
don't want any presents.
I don't need things. I don't want to see my parents spending their
retirement income or my siblings
their limited income to buy me "things." My husband and I are blessed
and spending at Christmas
has never been a burden, but it has for the rest of my family and I
want nothing to do with it. Besides,
it's not my birthday.
America's retailers need you to spend
This may be true,
but it's not my obligation to run out six weeks before December 25th
and spend
myself silly on substandard trash from communist countries like China
who murder their own people
and force women to abort near full term babies. As a person who
believes in and totally supports a free
enterprise system, I am cognizant that consumers like me hurt the
economy by not buying. However,
I cannot and will not sacrifice my principles just to keep retailers
afloat during the last six weeks of each year.
Retailers would do
well to remember that what really made America the most prosperous and
wealthy
nation on this earth was our industrial, manufacturing and agricultural
industries. Tens of millions of
jobs for Americans. Good jobs. Jobs that produced the needs of our
Republic. Since the onslaught of
unconstitutional "free" trade treaties like NAFTA & GATT, those
vital, productive areas have been
wholesaled off U.S. soil and people like me will go without before we
put one more American out of
work. People like me will go without before we consign one more young
adult to the kitchens of some
fast food junk joint instead of good paying, producing jobs.
If any supporters of
"free" trade out there still have any doubt as to the destruction
foisted upon this
nation by "free" trade, I would respectfully recommend they read a
recent and very comprehensive
article by Patrick Buchanan titled The Death of
Manufacturing:
Of course, all the
blame doesn't go just to the retailers. It all starts with the U.S.
Congress who
continue to pass these insane "free" trade treaties that are then
signed into law by our global presidents.
Then come the American people themselves who are destroying our
economy, our sovereignty and our
future by continuing to buy foreign products. Retailers are firing
their customers and consumers are
buying themselves right out of self-reliance. The day is quickly
approaching when America will no longer
be able to sustain even her most basic needs without importing them
from our enemies. The death of our
Republic is glaring the stupid right in the face while their stupid
face is glued to Survivor or Nip N Tuck.
The beauty of Christmas
Despite the fact
that our family no longer participates in the buying spree called
"Christmas," that doesn't
mean we don't enjoy the beauty of a tree, the snow and a wonderful,
loud and loving family dinner. Gone
is the pressure on my family members who really don't have that extra
disposable cash to buy each other
presents to celebrate the birth of the Lamb of God. I dearly love my
family and I am so happy they no
longer feel that obligation and pressure to buy, buy, buy because
everyone else is doing it.
Gone is that strain
upon my 77-year old mother to hurry up and buy, wrap and ship those
birthday,
er, "Christmas" presents to all the grand and great grand children
scattered in other states. Unfortunately,
my brother still insists on buying the kids "Christmas" presents. My
comment to him was not to fall into
the same trap that Americans have for centuries: instilling greed in
your children.
Oh, I bought my
daughter lots of presents each Christmas. Now I wished I hadn't. Well I
can still
remember the Christmas mornings when she would simply grab one present
after another, rip the
paper and bows off, then grab the next one and the next one.
Little did she, then only a child, see
the unsettling behavior I observed. But, Brandy went to a private
Christian School all her life and
she has grown into a remarkable, warm and loving young woman.
Thankfully, she has outgrown
that feverish behavior about "Christmas" presents.
Each "Christmas"
season I stand in line at the post office and watch weary, harried
people, arms full
of boxes, fuming at the long line in front of them and marvel at how
well the herding technique
actually works. I watch them in the department store if I have to
run in for a particular item.
When I remark at a counter that I don't participate in the silly buying
season, people just stare
at me like I have two heads. Quite personally, I feel just fine not
participating for my thoughts
at "Christmas" have nothing to do with buying birthday presents for my
family on a day that
isn't their birthday.
The meaning of Christmas
Everyone worships in
their own way and that is one of our most precious rights as Americans.
I would only like to say that I hope that this year, Christians will
remember that Christmas isn't
about buying other people presents to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The
three wise men brought
gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Mary. They sought only to look upon
the Christ Child.
How lucky they were! But, look what that simple, humble and most
awesome occasion has
turned into today. It's positively nauseating. America's moral
foundation, her people's profound
belief in God and the celebration of their faith made America strong
and great. Now, cheap wind
up toys from Communist Hong Kong or the Philippines have replaced the
soul of our Republic.
I would leave you
with a prayer that I hope you will remember this "holiday" season, for
in the end,
there are no "Christmas" presents, no "Christmas" party hoopla, and no
crowded malls. There is only
you and the journey we must all take because no one escapes this life
alive. I have carried this
'Prayer to St. Joseph' in my wallet for more than 25 years. I hope you
will feel the wonder I do
each time I read it:
Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt
before the throne of God,
I place in you all my interest and desires. Oh, St.
Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession,
and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual
blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
So that, having engaged here below your heavenly
power, I may offer my thanksgiving and
homage to the Loving of Fathers.
Oh, St. Joseph, I near weary contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in
your arms; I dare not approach
while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and
kiss His fine head for me and ask
Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St.
Joseph, Patron of departed souls -- Pray for me.
This prayer was
found in the fiftieth year of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In
1505, it was sent
from the Pope to Emperor Charles, when he was going into battle. As the
shoppers go into battle
for the best sale this "Christmas" season, will they even remember what
"Christmas" is all about?
© 2003 Devvy Kidd - All Rights Reserved
Sign
Up For Free E-Mail Alerts