I really wonder if a lot of it is simply people realizing that they need year to year routine - things they can set their watch to, things they can look forward to and share with others at the same time every year - and then when conservatives see some of that fade away, like Christmas traditions for example, they incorrectly infer a slippery slope to a world with no traditions or predictability. It also might be a my way or the highway approach - traditions and schedules need to look like the 1950's United States - new traditions, and new regularly scheduled events (i.e. going to Coachella the same weekend every year) are NOT OK, and are to be banished.
I don't think it is inferred. It is actually sold outright. "The War on Christmas" has been a fox news staple for years and it made the career of Glenn Beck who expanded his "war on Christmas" theme year after year. While I think there is something in the visceral reaction people have, the idea that "they are coming to take your traditions away from you" was not something that arose out of nowhere it was packaged and sold as a product.
Agreed - it was sold hard, especially first in the 2000's, as American society began to change. The part that is inferred - or maybe dog whistled rather, is that the "War on Christmas" is a slippery slope, and that NO other traditions are acceptable. No other traditions can contain joy!
We are said to be creatures of habit. Habits that becomes more deeply ingrained as we age. Also fear and paranoia are more common with age. The elderly are definitely having a rough time with the rising authoritarianism exploiting these tactics on all of us.
I agree with the basic brush of your understanding. This man whos kids left town is expressing anger ( really sadness..) that his children are not closer to him and probably his grandchildren. It is an very good illustrative point about how economic forces pull families apart.
Maybe the best way to illustrate that to him personally would be to stop the Mexican table buser and ask him or her where they are from? Do you have family you had to leave behind in Mexico to travel 1000 miles in a new foriegn land where you are hated away from your family?
My mother, a good Midwestern Protestant, thought yard displays were incredibly tacky and cheap. Finally, after living in their house in Arlington, VA for maybe 20 years, she relented to the extent of putting large multi-colored lights on the two yews flanking the front walk.
When I moved to Berkshire County, MA where there were a lot of old line families as well as a lot of Catholics, yard decoration was less frequent in some areas, more frequent in others. It was my great pleasure to tour these areas with my family in the car to look to see who had the loudest, tackiest yard display. It made the holiday season for me. They are not high art but they can be fun.
However, those inflatable yard decorations are just evil. There, I said it. Diabolical!
I really wonder if a lot of it is simply people realizing that they need year to year routine - things they can set their watch to, things they can look forward to and share with others at the same time every year - and then when conservatives see some of that fade away, like Christmas traditions for example, they incorrectly infer a slippery slope to a world with no traditions or predictability. It also might be a my way or the highway approach - traditions and schedules need to look like the 1950's United States - new traditions, and new regularly scheduled events (i.e. going to Coachella the same weekend every year) are NOT OK, and are to be banished.
I don't think it is inferred. It is actually sold outright. "The War on Christmas" has been a fox news staple for years and it made the career of Glenn Beck who expanded his "war on Christmas" theme year after year. While I think there is something in the visceral reaction people have, the idea that "they are coming to take your traditions away from you" was not something that arose out of nowhere it was packaged and sold as a product.
Agreed - it was sold hard, especially first in the 2000's, as American society began to change. The part that is inferred - or maybe dog whistled rather, is that the "War on Christmas" is a slippery slope, and that NO other traditions are acceptable. No other traditions can contain joy!
We are said to be creatures of habit. Habits that becomes more deeply ingrained as we age. Also fear and paranoia are more common with age. The elderly are definitely having a rough time with the rising authoritarianism exploiting these tactics on all of us.
I agree with the basic brush of your understanding. This man whos kids left town is expressing anger ( really sadness..) that his children are not closer to him and probably his grandchildren. It is an very good illustrative point about how economic forces pull families apart.
Maybe the best way to illustrate that to him personally would be to stop the Mexican table buser and ask him or her where they are from? Do you have family you had to leave behind in Mexico to travel 1000 miles in a new foriegn land where you are hated away from your family?
Maybe he may see their commonality
Yes, "the Mexicans" are why his kids don't want to live near him.
My mother, a good Midwestern Protestant, thought yard displays were incredibly tacky and cheap. Finally, after living in their house in Arlington, VA for maybe 20 years, she relented to the extent of putting large multi-colored lights on the two yews flanking the front walk.
When I moved to Berkshire County, MA where there were a lot of old line families as well as a lot of Catholics, yard decoration was less frequent in some areas, more frequent in others. It was my great pleasure to tour these areas with my family in the car to look to see who had the loudest, tackiest yard display. It made the holiday season for me. They are not high art but they can be fun.
However, those inflatable yard decorations are just evil. There, I said it. Diabolical!
This is such a great analogy. Thank you for writing and posting it!