Debate is raging again this year over whether Christmas trees should be given a more innocuous name: holiday trees.
Proponents site America's pluaralistic society as a reason to try and include as many people as possible in the festivities. The opponents of such an idea are mostly Christians, who make up 76% of the U.S. population, according to recent statistics.
Retail giant Wal-Mart, as well as other stores have dropped the word "Christmas" from advertisements and in-store banners. Some consumers are so upset they have threatened to boycott the offending retailers.
Congress has even stepped into the fray, with House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert formally proclaiming the tree on the Capitol grounds as a Christmas tree. We think Congress has more important issues on their plate such as Iraq and Katrina, than wrangling over what to call a tree.
Christmas is of course a Christian holiday, hence the name, but many of the activities surrounding Dec. 25 are not religious in nature. Those Americans that are not particulary religious should also be able to join in the revelry, but those Americans that want to honor and recognize the birth of Jesus Christ should be able to celebrate the day regardless of the name, as it's hardly what matters.
