The holiday season is a time for family and friends but it is also supposed to be a time of inner reflection. It's also a great time for musicians and entertainers to remind us just how fortunate we are to not be living in another place, most frequently through the form of song.
I love "Do They Know It's Christmas," and "Happy Xmas (War is Over)," just as much as any kid who's mom and dad grew up in the 1980s but I feel like these songs hit home more than they should this holiday season.
While working on my religion final, I sat in my living room listening to Celine Dion's holiday album when her rendition of "Happy Xmas" came on and for the first time ever, I cried listening to a Christmas song. The holidays have always been my favorite time of the year. Growing up, I would ask my mom to play Rudolph with me in mid-July. I've always been a holiday fanatic but this year feels different to me.
I don't think it's because I'm older, I've always tried to retain the same type of excitement for the holidays that I had when I was five. I think this year it's the realization that these songs are more than just words set to a tune. John Lennon's protest of the Vietnam War is still relevant today as we see hate crimes on the rise in the United States. Band Aid's plea to help the people dying of a government-induced famine in Ethiopia comes to mind as we see the worn torn faces of children in Syria.
The line "and so this is Christmas and what have we done?" is one of the most poignant lines in either song. I think back to waking up on November 9 of this year and seeing my roommate laying on the other side of the room. My eyes were puffy from a short, restless night of sleep.
"So," is all she greeted me with.
"So," is the only word I could muster back.
There was a powerful understanding within that singular word. Something so powerful that nearly 66 million Americans understood that morning. And all I can think about a month later is, in fact, what have we done?
What have we done to our fellow Americans to make them feel so threatened and so afraid in their own country? How can you go to the polls and vote for someone who inspires such hatred and then celebrate the birth of a man who preached the exact opposite a month later?
The words "what have we done" now make a chill go up my spine. What was once a literal question that had a response is now a scathing, rhetorical question that hurts for humanity.
Many of the children in Syria who are caught up in the midst of the civil war are not Christian and have never celebrated Christmas before. Some of them may not even know what it is because they never got to go to school and learn about the world because of the war that has torn their country apart.
That does not mean that their lives matter any less during the holiday season. In fact, they matter even more now.
With the Islamic State set on eliminating anyone who does not subscribe to their radicalism, Christian, Muslim, and Jew alike and the Assad regime set on eliminating the rebel forces, these children will be the new voices of change in an unstable region if they survive the war.
These children will be able to testify to the horrors of life caught in the crossfires of political and religious bullets that are not meant to subdue the other side but eliminate them as a whole.
They do not know that it's Christmas in Syria, figuratively speaking. They may know that the month of December is an important month in many religions but because of the humanitarian crisis that is happening, the love and laughter they share with their remaining friends and family will be tinged with fear and sorrow.
Even though there is currently a ceasefire that is allowing for civilians to evacuate, it is never guaranteed that ceasefires will hold, especially in Syria.
What have we done? We've let our fellow Americans live in fear in their own home. We've turned a blind eye to Syria.
War does not stop for the holidays. War does not see Christmas or Hanukkah as any more important than May 11. War is cruel and harsh. It does not discriminate. It can harm anyone at any time.
Even though it seems hopeless, there is a lot that can be done to make the upcoming days better for the entire world. Stand up to hateful rhetoric. Disavow ignorance. Do something to help someone else without being asked. Organize a coat drive, it can get chilly in refugee camps. Stop the idea that refugees are all radicals. If the Islamic State genuinely wanted to cause more chaos abroad, why would they risk one of their soldiers living in the deplorable conditions that refugees live in? They have access to the internet, they do not need to infiltrate a group of scared people to spread their message.
What spreads that message is the continuation of hatred and fear. What pushes a young person towards radicalism is that they do not feel like they belong. Assuming that a Muslim refugee is a member of the Islamic State is like assuming that an African-American belongs to a gang or a caucasian Christian is a part of the Ku Klux Klan. It's simply not true. Make everyone you meet feel welcomed in your presence, you never know what that smile on the subway will mean to someone.
This holiday, say a prayer for those who are caught in war zones. Pray for the safety of those in our country who feel as if their rights are threatened. It does not matter if you think that their fears are unfounded, a person's perception is their reality. If they feel like their rights will be violated then that fear is real and legitimate.
John Lennon and Band Aid's messages are still relevant during the 2016 Holiday Season. Conflicts move around the world but the remedy remains the same. Do not stay silent and spread love and acceptance. Do what you can to help, every bit matters.
War isn't over and it will not stop for the holidays, no matter how badly we want it to. Throw your arms around the world this Christmas and let everyone know that they are welcome. It may not seem like much but it's a good place to start.
