Who didn’t see this coming?
Shortly after a Minnesota woman and her husband decorated their home with Christmas lights, they received a letter from an anonymous neighbor, calling them out for their display, which the cowardly neighbor described as “a reminder of systemic biases against our neighbors who don’t celebrate Christmas or who can’t afford to put up lights of their own.”
The letter “challenged” Minnesotan Kim Hunt, who works with patients in a COVID ward, and her husband to “respect the dignity of all people while striving to learn from differences, ideas, and opinions of our neighbors.” Call me crazy, but working as a nurse in a COVID ward goes way beyond “respecting the dignity of all people,” in my book.
Hunt told Fox News that she and her husband were “very surprised, shocked, and saddened by the letter.” “The lights give me joy after coming home from work as a nurse working with COVID,” she said. “I wish we could all celebrate diversity and honor everyone’s traditions.”
Hunt lamented that “these times we live in are so divisive” and that it’s “a sad statement that Christmas lights have to be a target.” Amen.
But targeted the lights were — and so were the Hunts.
“I couldn’t help but notice your Christmas light display. During these unprecedented times, we have all experienced challenges [in] which casual words just don’t describe what we’re feeling.
“The idea of twinkling, colorful lights is a reminder of divisions that continue to run through our society, a reminder of systemic biases against our neighbors who don’t celebrate Christmas or who can’t afford to put up lights of their own.
“We must do the work of educating ourselves about the harmful impact an outward-facing display like yours can have. I challenge you to respect the dignity of all people while striving to learn from differences, ideas, and opinions of our neighbors.
“We must come together collectively and challenge these institutional inequities; St. Anthony is a community welcoming of all people and we must demand better of ourselves.”