Ditto

There are as many Islamophobic incidents as anti-Semitic these days.  To me, this means Canadians don't want foreign wars of any kind in this country.  I completely agree.  Why do people bring their issues here?  As B's grandfather told him when they emigrated from India via England to Canada, "You're a Canadian now.  Forget about India, forget about England.  Just be a Canadian."

Great advice, which he took.  Other cultures should heed this, but they don't.  Immigrants, leave your shoes at the door, please.

Mayor Gondek

Host societies have a duty to welcome newcomers; immigrants have a duty to integrate.  But it's the last part of that statement that's missing and that is what is causing all the problems.

In spite of the vilification she is enduring for not attending the lighting of the Menorah ceremony at city hall in Calgary, I think Mayor Gondek did the only thing she could have:  Decided not to go.  You just know that Muslims and Palestinians would have disrupted the event with protests that would have turned violent.  That's a given.  Remember all the Eritrean "cultural festivals" that became violent battles right here in Calgary?  Exactly.

But naturally, the Jewish population is up-in-arms and outraged.  I am not in the least a fan of Gondek, with her rabid political correctness, inclusivity and decisions always coloured by her ethnicity, but she had no choice.  Frankly, protesters would have been injured or arrested.  Another given.  How would that have looked?  Rhetorical.

On this file, Gondek couldn't win.  

Can we not just celebrate Christmas?  Can we not just celebrate the birth of Christ?  Can we not let December 25th be Christmas?  Christians are discriminated against when the whole month is re-branded "Holiday Day" or "Season's Day".  Imagine if Christians objected to Hanukkah or Eid?  Would never happen.

So, Merry, Merry!  And leave your ethnic and religious battles at home.