Washington, D.C.,
Dec 14, 2005 -
Mr. PORTER. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support
of House Resolution 579 and the tradition of Christmas. I commend my colleague,
Ms. Davis, for introducing this resolution.
As Americans, we enjoy the freedom to practice our own faith. This
heritage inspired the American tradition of respecting individuals in their
right to practice their religion, regardless of faith. However, it seems that,
in recent years, zealous liberals have tried to destroy this heritage. It all
started when schools would no longer call their annual winter recess a Christmas
break in order to be politically correct. Now, instead, there is a holiday
break, in many instances thanks to actions of the ACLU, American Civil Liberties
Union.
While this may be a valid point since various religions observe holidays
around the same time, they would not stop there at the erosion. There is a war
against Christmas. Our children cannot sing Christmas carols. They can only sing
holiday tunes. And now, instead of a Christmas tree, advertising calls them
holiday trees. There is no reason why we cannot honor and cherish the traditions
of Christmas while also doing the same with Chanukah, Kwanzaa or any other
valued religion celebrated in America. America should never single out a
religion for the purposes of banning or looking down upon references to their
holiday celebrations. That practice flies in the face of the principles that our
Nation was founded on. Instead, we must treasure the traditions that remind us
of our history and of our country while at the same time respecting Americans of
different faiths. As such, I strongly support House Resolution 579 which
recognizes and supports symbols and traditions of Christmas.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.
Veterans
