Christmas has always, to this Democrat at least, been about family gathering together, wishing for peace in the world, and wanting to give the type of gifts that can't be wrapped.
You see, to this Democrat, Christmas is a time that brings home to me why I am a Democrat. I don't find the "spirit of Christmas" once a year, it surrounds me in life, in the political choices I make. The types of choices that so many of us here know and realize are the things that matter in life, the things that we live each day, not just once a year, but in all that we do.
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To give this type of gift to others isn't easy, it can't be wrapped, it can't be shipped, purchased or bargained for. No, this gift is one that gives through our deeds, through our faith in that which we hold dear to our hearts.
Christmas is not one day in the calendar year, it is a flame of hope that I try to keep all year. How is it that only once a year the poor are "seen" by us? How is it that only once a year we seem to be aware of that which is around us? Is it that only once a year we can be generous and "give" to those who are in need?
As Democrats we see these needs at all times through the year, we realize that our society is best when all do well, when those who are struggling get the help they need to help themselves make a better life.
Now, what do I see from the other side? Well, for the most part it is a focus on the individual, making a society more interested in "I got mine, you get yours" than pulling together for the good of the whole. Of course at Christmas the other side reaches out to those in need and "sees" them for a few days. The rest of the year? The poor disappear, or worse, become parasites on society, not deserving of health care, housing, food, education or a decent job.
The other side, in my opinion, can't seem to understand that the true meaning of Christmas isn't one day, isn't a "season" it is a spirit of how we live our lives throughout the year. I see the other side as focusing on the individual, always stressing "owning" something.
Compare the Democratic vision of retirement to the other side's vision. Democrats push for "Social Security," a program intended to benefit all of our society and provide security to those who most need it. The other side pushes for "ownership" by the individual, no safety net, no coming together as a nation, rather a way of destroying the fabric of society to replace it threads that stand alone.
Even further, this year we can see the growing divide in this nation by Christmas sales. The high, upscale stores are doing very well. Those who "have" in our society are benefiting from the policies of an administration that takes from the poor and gives to the rich. The mid to lower end retailers are struggling and reporting very sluggish sales. People in the middle and below are just not able to spend on extras when the basics like medical care, education and housing are eating up far too much of their income.
In the spirit of Christmas my gift to so many would be a vision of what our nation could be, a vision of sharing a responsibility, a vision of knowing that when we help people improve their lives with good paying jobs, medical care, education, our society reaps a dividend.
It is not enough for this Democrat to know that my health care is taken care, that my retirement is seemingly (at this point who knows) well planned, that my children are able to go on to college, that my family is doing well. In the spirit of Christmas, all through the year, helping create a stronger safety net for those who need it is a determining factor in my politics.
In the spirit of Christmas, there is that which can't be wrapped, which isn't a day or a moment, it is a way of living our lives. It is not judging, it is opening our hearts and minds in ways that aren't always easy, but are thoughtful and caring, in ways that we see as creating a better life for people we don't know, but we realize exist.
It is an "easy out" to donate to people at Christmas. Why doesn't the other side ever ask themselves why there are so many people who need help at Christmas? Don't they see that the needs of so many are beyond a gift you can wrap? How can so many think they are good "Christians" when they shut out so much suffering and need in our society for most of the year?
This Democrat would like to give that "other side" the gift of true compassion, a gift not easily wrapped, but more precious than all the riches one may "own."