By The Way I See It

GINTA: Should intolerance be rewarded?

Dec 17, 2018 | 1:33 PM

TWO DAYS AGO, while on an errand run, I met Michael, the homeless man who always has a smile on. He greeted me with ‘Merry Christmas’. Rather than question his assumption of my celebrating Christmas (which happened to be correct), I was grateful for his joyful demeanour and smile. We chatted about the mildness of weather, the many reasons to be grateful and kids’ joy at Christmas.

Lately, there has been a lot of touchiness regarding Christmas. Some people don’t care if you say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”, while others take it to the next level of irritation and offense, and then farther still. Case in point: a CBC story titled ‘Christmas comes early for atheist family who opposed holiday symbols in the classroom.’

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has recently awarded $12,000 to a family of three, following ‘discrimination’ by the school board. The conflict started back in 2014 with the parents, described as outspoken atheists, being against their daughter learning about Christmas by decorating elf ornaments and about Hanukah by lighting candles. No religious/political celebrations for their daughter, they said, and that included Remembrance Day (this one stopped me in my tracks; for obvious reasons).

In the interest of fairness, elves do not qualify as religious Christmas celebrations. You’d be hard pressed to find a kid or even adults who think of religious impositions when it comes to elves.

The parents’ strong position caused the school to ask for a signed agreement to confirm their understanding and acceptance of the school’s cultural program in all aspects of it. They refused, hence the school refused to re-enrol their daughter.

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The tribunal considered all facts — including the father’s veiled Islamophobic remarks and the Nazi salute he threw in the mix — and the conclusion was the $12,000 award. My conclusion: intolerance got rewarded by a human rights tribunal.

When I think of human rights, there are a few issues that come to mind: the right to life, the right to live free of slavery and torture, the right to fair trials.

As for violations here are a few big ones: poverty, no access to clean water, homelessness. Approximately 1.4 million children in Canada live in poverty and none will see any award any time soon (I wish I was wrong on this one!). The federal government estimates that 82,400 people in Canada do not have regular access to clean, hence safe drinking water. Better Dwelling Canada estimates that less than 10.7 percent of all the advisories are being monitored. Food for thought: 84 percent of advisories are found in British Columbia.

The right to enroll in a preschool of choice — a private one at that — while displaying intolerance toward anything but one’s own values is hardly a violation of human rights. Or put another way: if this the worst human rights violation in Canada, worthy of a $12,000 award, then we are doing really, really well. We all know that’s not the case. As for the right to be joyous this time of year while decorating elves alongside your friends, now that’s cruel to take away from a child, more so when they are still too young to understand the reasons.

I was raised Christian and have fond memories of Christmas, albeit it was not all draped in religion. It was a jolly family time decorating the house and tree, delighting in the first snow and going for countless sled rides with my Dad and sister, baking up a storm and visiting with friends.

As for Santa… again, it’s everybody’s choice to do as they please. Some tell kids from the get-go that there is no Santa, while others do the opposite. My kids believed in Santa for a few short years, then one day my youngest questioned it all (that included the tooth fairy). If Santa was real, he asked, wouldn’t he first take gifts to children who have little or nothing? A most valid point. That did not damage Christmas, but it opened good conversations about social injustices.

Which is why we donate money to good local causes at Christmas, like so many other people in Kamloops. The Christmas Cheer Fund is not meant to convert us all, but to remind us of the many people in need in our community who could use our help. ‘Tis the season of giving, no?

When I drop money into the Salvation Army collection boxes manned by cheery volunteers, some say, “God bless you, Merry Christmas” and others say, “Thank you, happy holidays.” Who could possibly get offended and why? It’s not the greeting, but the cause that matters most.

If you happen to wish me happy holidays, I will never hold it against you because really, it’s what we each make of it and life is simply too short and precious to mind it.

Michael said it best when we parted ways: “You know, so many people miss out on having a good day because they do not realize that simply waking up in the morning is like having won the lottery.” I think we are better for it if we were to think the same.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!