Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 23 December 2004 — Page 2

Page 2 • The Muncie Times • December 23, 2004

EDITORIAL

Merry Christmas. Merry Kwanzaa. Happy New Year to y'all

Once more, it is that time of the year when we celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa, signaling the end of one year and the beginning another one. It is a time for reaching out to others, especially to those less fortunate than ourselves. It is a time to be grateful and thankful for the many good blessings that we have had this year. No matter how bleak things may look, we should stop whining and start being grateful for being alive, healthy, having food in our bellies and roofs over our heads. When we look around the country and the world, we should be grateful for our circumstances, because there are so many more people in the United States and around the world whose circumstances are so much

more worse off than ours. We must think about those people, before we start feeling so sorry for ourselves. Too many times we seem to forget what Kwanzaa and Christmas are all about because, too often, we are self centered. We are too concerned about what we have, compared to our neighbors, friends, relatives and fellow residents. We have corrupted Christmas. It is no longer a day that is supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Instead it is an opportunity, for far too many of us, to engage in conspicuous consumption. It has become a holiday to celebrate materialism, to spend too much money often buying goods, gifts and foods that we do not need. As a result, for some of

us, Christmas has lost its spiritual meaning and significance. We have come to measure whether it's a good or bad Christmas on the basis of what material goods we get or do not get. We have lost the spiritual and religious significance of Christmas. That is sad. Maybe it is time to return to basics and consider what Christmas really means, when it is stripped of its materialism. So far, Kwanzaa, the7day African American celebration that starts Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 1, seems to have retained its spiritual aspect. Maybe that is because Kwanzaa's founder made a point of stressing that Kwanzaa is not about material acquisitions but about spiritual connection and rejuvenation. The

LETTER POLICY The Muncie Times accepts and ulars must be included in the let- addressed to: The Editor, The publishes “Letters to the Editor” ter along with the suggested Muncie Times, 1304 N. under the following conditionSVr pseudonym. ^ \ Broadway, Muncie, IN 47303. •The letter must indicate the\ •Letters must be brief, prefer- •Unsolicited manuscripts will writer’s name, address and ably no more than 300 words . only be returned if the writer phone number where the writer long and should, if possible, be includes a self-addressed, can be reached during the day. typed and double-spaced. Hand- stamped envelope with correct Addresses and phone numbers written letters will also be package, will not be published. accepted. \ •If the writer wishes the letter “The editor reserves the right to to be published under a pseudo- edit all letters for brevity, accuranym, that wish will be honored, cy, taste, grammar and libel. However, the writer’s full partic- •All correspondence should be MUNCIE TIMES STAFF

Publisher Bea Moten-Foster Editor John Lambkun Advertising Bea Moten-Foster Layout/Typesetting Donna Spencer Contributors: T.S. Kumbula, Maurice EL-Taylor, Nicole Johnson,

Hurley C. Goodall, Bernice Powell Jackson, and Marc H. Morial, Administrative Assistant Barbara Perry The Muncie Times is published twice monthly at 1304 N. Broadway, Muncie, IN 47303. It covers the communities of Anderson, Marion, New Castle, Richmond, and Muncie. All editorial correspondence should be addressed to: The Editor, The Muncie Times, 1304 N. Broadway, Muncie, IN 47303. Telephone (765) 741-0037. Fax (765) 741-0040.

emphasis during Kwanzaa, therefore, is on learning about and understanding the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa, rather than on giving and receiving material possessions. But whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa or both, we, at The Muncie Times, extend our warmest regards to you. We wish you good health, prosperity, success, peace and understanding in the new year. We hope 2005 will be a better and more memorable year than 2004 was. We hope during this festive season and into next year and beyond, we will reach out to those who are less fortunate and less privileged than we are. We hope we will take advantage of the holiday season to help others, to make them more comfortable. We hope we can become less selfish and centered and more willing to help others and make their circumstances just a little more comfortable. We hope we can do a better job of helping, protecting, feeding and sheltering those who have fallen upon hard times, until such time that they can get back to their feet and

start fending for themselves. That is especially important in Muncie. If we are interested in building a better, more cohesive and more understanding and accepting community, we need to start now. We need to stop putting on blinders that enable us to ignore uncomfortable circumstances. We need to feel an obligation to hel, not just at Christmas but throughout the year. Those who read and understand the Bible, without immorally corrupting for political and other nefarious ends will remember that the message from Jesus was that we ought to look out for and help the less fortunate. The enduring message is that we are our brothers' (and sisters') keepers. It is time to stop talking about what the Bible says and start practicing it. That would be a wonderful change. In that warming spirit, we wish you all, regardless or your faith, creed or religion, our best wishes for this season and for the new year. Merry Christmas. Merry Kwanzaa. The very best for the New Year.