I never thought I'd actually be arguing against not one, but three anti-Christmas articles in the last issue of Flyer News! Get a grip people'Christmas is what you make it, not what others make it.

Take this situation'there are plenty of reasons people have gone to war in the past. A lot of the reasons have been religious in nature. Genocide, death, bombing, suicide, etc.'all in the name of religion. That doesn't make me hate religion. Try not to let others influence how much you enjoy a holiday or your own religion.

Sure, there are reasons the season has gotten out of control. Commercialism, crazy songs, lights that keep you up at night, stupid traditions. But what in the world have we been doing all year?

We're told to keep our 'sweetheart' in mind on Sweetest Day'which is practically made up! We dress up like hooligans and idiots on a day for no good reason, and we used to do it for loads of candy! We sit around a huge table and eat turkey and ham why? Hundreds of years ago our forefathers basically pillaged an entire continent full of other humans for their own gain in an effort to colonize the planet?

Hallelujah!

There's always someone out there trying to spoil the fun. With Independence Day, someone's out there trying to say what liberties we've lost, how many people the American government has killed, the people we used to enslave.

Even on this campus, poor old St. Patrick's Day is rarely seen.

So what if people want to give each other presents? So what if people enjoy putting ridiculous lights out on their houses with stupid little reindeer on the roofs? And so what if people like seeing their crazy families and catching up?

And please, spare me the guilt trip every time I want to show other people that I'm thinking of them with a little Christmas gift. Am I that bad of a person because I chose to give gifts to people I know rather than give gifts to people I don't? Every single day you could write an article about how we should always be giving to the poor and thinking of those less fortunate. But some days, you want to count your own blessings and thank those around you (who may or may not be less fortunate). Is that such a big deal?

Let the crazies be crazy. Let the Wal-Mart freaks trample each other to get the newest Furby or Tickle-Me Elmo. Let them do that. Let them ruin their own Christmas.

For your Christmas, do what you want. Spend time with your family, if that's what you need. Or give other people presents. Eat Turkey. Sing carols if it floats your boat. Do all the stupid things you want to do for your own holiday.

But for Heaven's sakes, quit trying to ruin mine.

Dan Luckett
Senior
Psychology and Communications