Christmas Cancellation – Poor Children!

By: Joe Mauricio

 

This year’s Christmas celebration seems complicated to many Christian families, especially with the ominous news of “Christmas Cancellation” coming from the government authorities.

As Christmas is associated with the children’s festivities through their school participation in Christmas caroling and plays in traditional schools, going to church with parents, and excitement in openings gifts from Santa Claus and stocking stuffi ng on Christmas day, bad news for them have been forthcoming.

For the obvious reasons due to the many Covid pandemic victims, “Christmas Cancellation” rumors have been fl oating around and been ominous. To prevent the spread of this dreadful disease, authorities have decided to close many churches, schools were shut down and have gone virtual, restaurants and bars are prohibited in catering to their customers, and gatherings of more than six persons are strictly prohibited. What is there left for the children to do? Gone are the happy shrieks and laughter as they play with classmates in schools while feeling happy for the holidays, giving and receiving gifts from thier friends, holding their parents’ hands while solemnly attending church and at times going to Christmas fairs and snack stands, proudly preparing for a Christmas play in Christmas costumes.

But I have heard and seen that quite a number of these children are still happily preparing in welcoming Christmas in their homes by decorating their Christmas trees that they proudly show off (and parents, too) to their friends through pictures and/or social media.

Whatever the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election, more than forty fi ve-percent of voters will feel disgusts and betrayals. A lot of comments from Facebook are leading the effort to heal the divides created by the presidential election to repair the social fabric and to restore trust and civility.

What have we, as Filipinos or Filipino Americans learned in the political engagements with or against each other in these last elections? How true is the saying, “Mahusay lang and Pinoy sa papelan?” Are they a lot smarter, doer and engager than that? Do they need to get better at engaging in logical political arguments? Do they need reconciliation motives after engaging in unreasonable name-callings and shouting matches?

I am for this in principle. Civility is better than incivility, love is better than hate. Done wrong, however, could compound our political problems. So before we embark on a lot of bridge building, ask us just where we’re trying to go, mostly for people of widely divergent political stances right now.

Trump supporters who feel left behind by the changing economy and culture.

Black Lives Matter mistrust establishment’s politics and institutions.

Sanders’ supporters wary of elite neo-liberal conspiracy for all these people, there is good reason not to sign on too soon to reunion and reconciliation.

All of them want to disrupt status quo. None of them is going to pledge civility, if doing so might man forfeiting the necessary exercise of civic power — that’s proper.

You can’t easily get a reconciliation without delving into truth. Re-humanization doesn’t require that we try to like each other. It requires only that “we try” to see and hear each other. That we feel the pain, pride, and hope, and fear of our putative antagonists.

This is the reconciliation for grown-ups. It doesn’t pretend that all will be peaceful, or that it should be. It acknowledges the never-endingness of our fi ghts.

A quiet but fun despedida luncheon for friend Jake Cocjin who’s leaving for Iloilo, Philippines soon, held at Perry’s Schaumburg. Jake is shown with friends Veronica & Joe Mauricio.