Christmas Excludes Many in Society

I am responding to a letter you printed on Dec. 27 by Ted Baehr (critical of a feature on holiday books for children in which the Christmas holiday was not included):

I attend a prestigious high school in Pasadena that prides itself on its multiculturalism. But when the holiday season rolls around, all that I see is Christmas, with little regard for other holidays celebrated near the same time. Christian traditions abound, and I was shocked to see the decided lack of effort on the part of my school to encompass Hanukkah, even less to acknowledge Kwanzaa.

Just because the majority of people in this country are Christian, why should they force their beliefs on others, without regard to the feelings of those who are not Christian? Jews, Muslims and even atheists generally are ignored by our society at a time when, especially according to Christian ethics, we should try to be more supportive and open to all people, regardless of their beliefs. TV networks have “Christmas specials” and show movies that deal exclusively with Christmas, and I certainly have never seen commercials that acknowledge any other holiday.

Children absorb knowledge of Christmas just by being a part of our society, but knowledge of holidays such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa must be actively taught. From my own experience, I can say that although I am not a Christian, I know the meaning behind Christmas, while I am still somewhat unclear about other holidays. This is sad, considering how politically correct we try to be in areas such as racism and sexism.

To this end, I commend you for your article that did not include Christmas. Only through such an omission will people realize that this is what thousands of non-Christians go through during the holiday season: total exclusion.

SHELBY PEAK

Shadow Hills