HAS CHRISTMAS BECOME TOO COMMERCIAL?

I've been hearing this question asked ever since I was a kid myself.  
And, No.  
I don't want to get into a conversation about how long that has been 
but, if you are a child of the computer age, 
it's been longer.
There's a part of me that wonders if Mary (Yes.  That Mary.) asked Joseph the same question when the three wise guys showed up unexpected.  
Right in the middle of breast feeding no doubt.  
Gawd!  
The nerve of some people!


In any case.  
It's an honest question that deserves an honest answer.  
I don't know.


But here's what I think (Like you didn't know more was coming).
Christmas is commercial.  
There's no other way to say it.  
It has become completely secularized and turned into the time of year when virtually every public service and retail industry can count on a boost that takes annual sales to places they could reach in no other way.  Christmas sales make such an enormous difference to every retail sector of the economy that the Friday of the American Thanksgiving weekend, the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season and the busiest shopping day of the year in the USA, has become known as 'Black Friday' because the volume of sales on that day is what pushes most retailers into 'the black' in terms of annual net income.
We spend money on lights and decorations, on gifts, on wrapping paper and cards.  We spend more money on travel, on food for guests, on dining out and on every and any other celebratory activity you can name.


I suppose the question becomes twofold.  
Why?  
And how much is too much?
Add to that the reason for Christmas.  
How important is it to remember the event we are celebrating?
Not very unless your traditions, beliefs 
or, at least, family background lean towards Christianity.


I think it's a cultural thing.
We celebrate this way because this is the way we celebrate.  
This is a part of our culture. 
The average person in North America, and probably the entire Western World, 
has more than they need and access to more than that.  
But our way of life, 
where rampant consumerism is the most popular form of physical activity, 
is not a reflection on Christmas.  
It's a reflection on the Western World.  
Christmas just got caught up in it.


What I like is that it is and remains an atmosphere of celebration 
and a time to be with family and friends.  
As a matter of fact, it has become a time to make the effort 
to be with loved ones where that effort may not be a priority at any other time.
At the same time as we are demonstrating affection by the giving of gifts 
we should not forget that we are usually showing up to give them in person 
and isn't that really what it's all about?


I'm not ashamed to say that I still believe in Santa Claus.
And here's why.
Santa Claus is actually an English mispronunciation of the Dutch name for Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas.
He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him.  His reputation for giving to those less fortunate survives to this day in the spirit of giving that Christmas inspires.  In that sense, Santa Claus lives on through each of us in the giving of gifts, of good wishes and of time to and for each other.


For the kids?
Let them enjoy the day and all the treats and goodies that go with it.
I feel fairly secure in the knowledge 
that the majority of us grown-ups understand 
that it truly is far more fun and fulfilling 
to give than to receive.


And on that subject, if you find yourself worrying that you're missing the true meaning of Christmas with all the commercial shenanigans going on around you, 
take a little cash or food or time 
and donate it to a worthy charitable cause.  
Let someone in need see your true Christmas spirit shinning through.

LEGALIZED PROSTITUTION

Who's got it?

Every nation on the face of the globe with the possible exception of Vatican City.

Who's for it?

Prostitution is legal in 77 countries. 

 78 if you count the State of Nevada which is kind of a distinct country within the US 

by virtue of making up most of it's laws up according to the needs of the tourist trade.

Canada is one of the nations where prostitution is legal 

although the law prohibits being found in, or working in a brothel; 

and communicating in a public place for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. 

 Apparently, it's more about semantics than sex here at home.

The fact that it's legal in Madagascar 

but, oddly enough, 

illegal in Liechtenstein 

is both unexpected and uninteresting.

Who's against it?

Most governments claim to be against it in principle. The idea behind legalization, where present, is generally held to be control and protection of those involved in the trade. Potential tax revenues probably have something to do with it in many countries. Occasional freebies for government officials probably push the right buttons in the rest.

109 countries have specific laws making prostitution illegal. In most cases, these are the countries where it's easiest to get laid for a price.

What do I think?

Once again, the debate has arisen in the media here in Canada as it does every few years whenever someone contests existing legislation that purports to control, without overtly condoning, the sex trade.

It's like smoking. It's legal to smoke in Canada. And it's legal to buy cigarettes. Just try and find a place where you can get away with it without being busted. You can't even smoke in your car anymore without risking legal sanction unless you are alone. If I understand the present legislation, it's pretty much the same for sex.

I'm troubled by the debate surrounding legalized prostitution because I don't believe a change in legislation would result in a change in the nature of the trade. I don't think open acceptance would create a flood of hookers inundating every urban area any more than clamping down on the skin trade would make it disappear.

Yes, legalization might result in protection of those involved. Medical screening (for those who will abide) and stricter controls on who actually makes money from the sex trade. The image of the nefarious pimp abusing his charges could become a thing of the past replaced by a government body taking it's similarly large cut of the profits right off the top. At least the likelihood of physical and emotional abuses would (might) be reduced.

Trouble is, none of this addresses the real concern. No one takes up the profession purely by choice. The reduction of actions that are intrinsic to the human condition to something bartered and sold is, in and of itself, degrading and abusive. No one walks away feeling good. The intimate nature of the situation leaves everyone involved open to trauma and trauma is all too frequently a part of what drives someone to the trade in the first place.

The actress Julia Roberts, when preparing for her role in "Pretty Woman" is said to have gone out to the streets of Los Angeles in search of the proverbial 'hooker with a heart of gold' in an effort to research her character.  She was devastated to find that such a creature did not seem to exist outside the world of fiction.  In the real world, the sex trade is a hard world filled with hard people.  Some may start out that way.  All appear to end up so.

Many years ago I drove a cab in downtown Toronto for a short time. I remember one very cold night in February I was stopped at a traffic light near Dundas and Parliament. On the north sidewalk stood a young girl shivering in a ridiculously short miniskirt, high heels and skin tight sweater. As I waited, a car pulled up on her side of the street. A man in a very warm long coat got out and approached the girl. He towered over her. They said a few words with no evidence of emotion and then, out of a pocket of her sweater, she pulled a large wad of bills which she handed over to the man. He got back in his car and drove off leaving her on the sidewalk alone and shivering in the cold at four AM.  I often wonder if she is still alive.

Show me a truly happy hooker and I'll be open to the discussion. Till then, I am an advocate for protection and for a non-judgemental social support system that helps anyone working the trade to get back on emotional solid ground, whatever that may be for them.

SUPPORT OUR CANADIAN TROOPS

I am a supporter of our armed forces.

I have a great deal of respect for the fact

that they are doing a job that I would

not likely choose for my self. 

I also believe that the majority of them

have chosen their career path

for the right reasons.

With Remembrance Day just passed

and our troops still deployed in Afghanistan

(and likely to be there for some time)

questions arise.

Some people don’t understand

why supporting our armed forces is important. 

Several generations of Canadians have never witnessed

an international conflict

with a threat that seemed real and present.

It does seem at times that our forces are called upon

to fight battles that are not ours to fight.

But here’s the deal.

We are not an unaligned nation. 

Canada is a member of NATO and of the U.N.

As a result, we have obligations. 

When our government is called upon to participate

as part of a united front against a perceived threat

to international security,

we are obliged to answer that call

by sending our people and resources to fill a role,

combat or otherwise. 

We hope and expect that our government will make decisions

to back, or back away from, such initiatives

in keeping with our own country’s moral code.

Whether or not one believes that we belong in Afghanistan is not the issue.

The question is, for me,

do I believe the men and women in uniform

who have been sent into harm’s way on behalf of our government

deserve my support, my prayers and my thanks

for doing a dirty and dangerous job?

Yes I do.

Once upon a time our military role was as peacekeepers. 

We were known and respected the world wide

for inventing and living up to the spirit of that role.

Unfortunately, the world is not, and never has been, a peaceful place.

Whether or not one believes

that what happens to governments on the other side of the world

represents a tangible threat to us

doesn't matter as much as understanding

that someone is over there right now,

ensuring that the point remains academic;

An issue to be discussed around the dinner table.

We are safe in our homes.

Protected by someone who is half a world away.

By someone for whom the situation remains very real.

I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

I believe that my opinion is important.

I believe that your opinion is important too.

What do you believe?

And what do you believe in?

What makes you angry?

What makes you laugh out loud?

What would it take to bring you to tears?

Now ask yourself if any of these questions might have the same answer. 

I find that they frequently do.

This is the first entry into “Rob’s Morning Rant”.

My plan is to explore

whatever is bringing me down,

lifting me up,

aggravating me,

making me laugh

or otherwise just plain interesting enough

to hold my attention at that particular point in time.

I expect the subject of interest for any given entry will range

from the political to the philosophical,

from the world of science and the world of religion,

exploring the world of current events and the media madness of the entertainment world.

Or maybe I’ll just make stuff up to see how you respond.

My hope is that you, the reader, will find yourself interested

in responding to my point of view

with opinions of your own. 

True enough, I want you to know what I think

But, more than that, I want to hear what you think too.

I want to find out where other people stand

on the issues, events and subjects that attract my attention. 

When something ….

anything …  

makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, for whatever reason,

I want to know who else notices.

Then maybe we’ll disagree. 

Maybe we’ll agree.

Maybe we’ll change our minds

or learn something that we never knew before

about something that really got us thinking.

And maybe,

If enough of us start thinking about the same things

and talking about the same things

we can make a difference in a positive way.

In any case….

               Welcome.

                         

  Rob