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Wednesday, December 07, 2011

School bus in Kingston Ontario ordered to remove Christmas decorations on bus

   Some folks are outraged by this and may feel that people should be outraged at having the decorations removed.
   Canada has chosen a multicultural political path which guarantees equality under the law, equality of opportunities and freedom from discrimination. In Canada there is a separation of Church and State so for a public transportation to uphold Christianity to me, flies in the face of Canadian culture and policy.
     Many who seek simple answers to complex problems will blame this on new immigrants. Most new immigrants and immigrants in general are uncomfortable by these moves and would rather the government not take these seeming drastic measures which in their minds is to please newcomers.
     What if the Christmas is allowed to be celebrated and upheld in government offices and advertisements plastered on government buildings etc? How would that promote multiculturalism unless the same is done for Muslim, Jewish, Baha'i, Buddhism, Hindu religious holiday.
     If truth be told, people of all races celebrate Christmas or the holiday season by putting up lights, having a Christmas tree and cooking and eating fancy foods during the season. To them, it is just another day off work and they want to be like other people.
     Governments however, have policies to maintain and have to set the course for an equitable society. Institutionally, this is how it is but individually, the government does not care who celebrates what.
    We all still get Christmas off at the moment, but in the future as our society becomes more inclusive, these religious holidays may be granted only to those who adhere to their respective religious practices.
     Some people argue that when they go to Saudi Arabia they have to wear the hijab and long skirts why can't people who come here adapt to Canadian culture. The answer to that is Saudi Arabia did not establish itself as a democratic, multicultural society where human rights are protected but Canada does and we should all be proud of that. Canada is on the right track.

     http://news.sympatico.ca/oped/coffee-talk/school_buses_forced_to_remove_christmas_decorations/a4e20e31

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