Tis The Season 2012

"Tis The Season..."

Greetings folks and welcome to another edition of “The Diplomatic Report.” By now, we should all be in the holiday spirit spreading joy to all we meet. If you aren’t in the holiday spirit and are instead spreading hate with your cantankerous attitude like the Grinch, know that Black Santa is watching you; he’s taking notes and will deal with you accordingly. So, straighten up or suffer the consequences. You’ve officially been warned!

I, like many others, love this time of year. I love the inordinate number of days off, the large amounts of comfort food and the presents. I also love the fact that, if at no other time of the year, people are generally nicer than they normally would be. If it takes festive lights, a Douglas fir and a jolly fat man in a red suit to get you to be nice, then I’ll take it. Whatever floats your boat or finds your lost remote.

Most of us associate this time year as being joyful, promising and reflective, as we should. The winter holidays are an opportunity for us to gather with family and friends, give gifts, show our gratitude for nearly a year of God’s favor, and reflect on all the things that make life worth living. However, this isn’t true for everyone. For every person who has their choice of houses to visit, there’s someone who doesn’t have any. For everyone who has a tree full of presents, there’s someone who won’t get any. It’s easy to look at our lives and our prosperity and assume that most, if not all, people enjoy the same comforts as us. Perception is reality right? Well unfortunately, the reality is that there are a lot of men, women, and children who celebrate the holidays alone, with no gifts, no food, and no bells to jingle.

For some, the holidays are a reminder of grief, suffering, and heartache. Imagine having broken up with your long-term partner and having to spend the holidays alone for the first time in forever. Imagine having lost a loved-one around the holidays, this time last year, or a previous year. Imagine being homeless, depressed, hungry and unable to share in the joy. Imagine having lost your young child in a horrific act of violence mere days before Christmas, which is the grim reality of the families in Newton, Connecticut.

No parent should ever have to bury their child and for most who do, it’s typically due to illness or reckless behavior of the offspring (drug/alcohol abuse, gang affiliation). However, no matter the cause, it doesn’t make it easy. I watched my grandmother bury 3 of her children and as she did, a little piece of her died every time until her own death. The deaths of those 26 individuals in Newtown, Connecticut should serve as a reminder that while we’re trimming the tree, enjoying hot chocolate and being merry, this isn’t the case for everyone. My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the 26 victims.

While I know the hearts of most Americans are still wrenching from the pain of this tragic incident, we still have to ask the questions, “Why?” “How?” and “What do we need to do to prevent this from happening again?” Those who choose to ignore this as an outlier or refuse to speak on it so as to “not politicize” the tragedy are personally contributing to the problem and politicizing it. Not speaking can be just as loud a form of speech as a racial epithet shouted during a crowded ethnic gathering. If not now then when? If not this incident then which one? If the deaths of 20 young children can’t spark us to move, to speak, and to do something then what will?

Tis the season not just to drink and be merry, but to make a difference. I’m a firm believer in the right to bear arms; however, as with all constitutional rights, there are restrictions. The exercise of my right to freedom of the press is great but limited in the sense that while I’m free to write and publish what I want, I can’t publish lies about someone. The exercise of my freedom of religion is great but limited in the sense that while I’m free to worship who I want, how I want, and when I want, I can’t do so in a fashion that endangers the lives of others. Our rights have restrictions and freedom isn’t free. There are boundaries and they exist for good reasons. While I believe that I, along with most Americans in this country, should be able to own weapons, I also believe that there should be restrictions on who can own them and what type of weapons we may be able to own.

I know you’re thinking, “Why this subject? Why now?” and truth be told I thought the same thing, but if not now then when. My true goal is to get you to think about your contacts, friends, and family who, for one reason or another, may have a rough holiday season. Maybe they lost their job, a loved one, are depressed, or are angry the Lakers are losing like it’s what they get paid to do. Whatever their issue may be, take the time to call, text, email, or stop by and say “hey” because you never know just how big of an impact you may be making. And don’t let this holiday spirit stop in your circle but let it extend to Aurora, Colorado, Newton, Connecticut, Chicago, Illinois, Washington, D.C. and all over the world. Tis the season.

Well, I hope everyone enjoys their holidays and gets an opportunity to spend some quality time with friends and family. Merry ChristmasHannuKwanzaa! Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!