Well, Mr. Speaker, once again we have new, though hardly improved, levels of political correctness to go with the Christmas season.
Our own Canadian Mint is running an ad to sell coins. It is calling the ad “the 12 days of giving” instead of “the 12 days of Christmas”. Apparently the jingle won out over some other trial balloons like “we wish you a merry loonie” and that other old favourite “have yourself a merry little time at the Mint”.
On the one hand, people of faith get used to this political correctness. After all, removal of Christian liturgy at the Swiss air memorial, removal of Easter and Christmas from the Department of Heritage calendar, and the rejection of prayers of all faiths at the September 11 ceremonies here on the Hill are examples of what happens all too commonly.
Now Toronto has raised a decorated tree at city hall, but of course it is not called a Christmas tree, heaven forbid; it is a holiday tree.
It is time for a little steel in the backbone, I figure. I admire the Canadian Jewish Congress for supporting the right of Christians to publicly display their faith, because we do not promote understanding and tolerance in a multicultural country by forcing any faith to go underground with its celebrations.