Students should not be offended by holiday party publicity
One morning last December, I walked into the Library Café and ordered a "Christmas Blend" small coffee.
I remember asking myself if the non-Christians who were upset about the Republican Christmas flier would also think that Starbucks "perpetuated ideas of radicalism and conservatism" by showing a "blatant disregard to other religious and social sects of the College."
I have two words for those who were offended by the flier - wake up.
In a world surrounded by pressing issues (poverty, education, war, immigration, presidential candidacy) why were we at the College agonizing over a holiday whose sole message is that of love? There are more worthwhile things to be offended by.
Maybe we should be troubled at how some students in our country parade the flags of Hamas and Hezbollah, two known terrorist organizations, at university-sanctioned rallies in celebration.
Maybe we should be offended by a previous Signal cartoon in which two students burned an American flag because they were bored.
As we move on from this school, let us harness our education to leave our mark on the world by voicing ourselves on meaningful matters.
The take-home message here is that our religious differences are to be celebrated, not watered down at the hands of political correctness.
The diverse pieces of fabric that make up America's cultural quilt all work to enhance its overall beauty.
What makes America great is that you could walk the streets of Anytown, U.S.A., and you may find a synagogue, a church and a mosque blocks away from one another. Each belongs.
As a product of free expression and tolerance, the concord between Americans of all backgrounds has been a catalyst for American prosperity. This is a concept that al-Qaida will never be able to comprehend. Let us not show them otherwise.
Bryan Foley
