Dear editor,
Re: Political correctness is nothing but a humbug (Record, Dec. 17).
Linda from Cumberland may have knotted knickers, but at least tries to be humorous, and to "loudly shout Merry Christmas to all!"
However, I must admit that getting any kind of greeting sounds good to me, and, let's be honest, nobody's actually preventing Linda and the many others from carrying on with their traditional festivities.
For the past couple of weeks the world's attention has been focused on South Africa, whose national anthem contains five languages — Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English — part of Nelson Mandela's dream of a totally inclusive rainbow nation.
In a country as diverse as Canada, maybe we can learn from the towering colossus they called Madiba, and show a little consideration for others, if only in December.
That's when different groups celebrate winter solstice, Muharram, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Festivus and Yuletide.
To follow Mr. Mandela's principles, we could greet each other with "Happy solsti-muharr-ukkah-christma-kwanz-festi-yule."
What a mouthful, but "Happy SMUCKFY" is easy to say, and certainly has a seven-fold festive ring to it, even if rainbows are seldom seen in December.
Happy SMUCKFY to all at the Comox Valley Record, and to all your readers, especially Linda in Cumberland.
Bernie Smith,
Parksville