'Tis the season for political correctness
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As December begins and the snow begins to fly, so does the multitude of Christmas music that can be heard virtually everywhere.
This, of course, is bound to reopen what has become an annual debate on "merry Christmas" versus "happy holidays." Yes, it is politically correct to keep it more generic as to not offend anyone. However, by doing this are you not offending those who don't have an issue with Merry Christmas?
Teacher and retired firefighter-turned-rising-country singer/songwriter Don Murdock's new single Christmas to Me certainly brings the debate back into the forefront of the nation's consciousness following articles in the National Post and The Huffington Post. Both pieces addressed his recently released song, and its lyric: "politicians try to tell us to take Christ out of the day, to hide all the symbols we used to celebrate"; and "why must it be politically correct, why can't we treat each other with respect"? This has created debate among readers, who have taken to the comment sections in droves. It has also garnered more than 6,000 views in just over two weeks on YouTube.
There were many passionate comments on the web.
For his part, Murdock questions the real reason why we celebrate Christmas and comments on how obsessed Canadians have become with being politically correct, saying Canadians often forget the real reason to celebrate the season.
Co-written by Murdock and Brian Dolph of Café Music Group, with vocals recorded locally at Longshot Records owned and engineered by Matt Baetz, the buzz surrounding this song seems to be only rising as Christmas draws near.
Politics aside, this is a song that is reminiscing about the holidays while growing up and keeping Christmas traditions alive. It's simple, relatable and down to earth. It'll be a holiday staple in my collection, for sure. Check it out for yourself.
What makes this festive tune different from the throng of other Christmas songs that have been released so far this year is that Don asks us to stop the debate and acknowledge it as a time to be spent with family and friends, regardless of what you celebrate.
J. Kaela Simpson is a Kingston native with a heavy addiction to Converse shoes, a growing collection of concert T-shirts and a passion for music of all genres. Contact her at jk.simpson21@gmail.com; twitter.com/KaelaSimpson and www.facebook.com/kaela.simpson
