Common Sense: ‘Tis the season

You really must wonder what goes through the mind of mall management companies like the Staten Island Mall and Roosevelt Field when they essentially cancel Christmas displays due to some incredibly distorted view of political correctness.

Not surprisingly, the backlash against these malls has been immense, with literally tens of thousands indicating they would boycott these malls. And, not surprisingly, each and every mall that has attempted to implement such a policy has reversed and apologized. Personally, I think their sincerity is no greater than their desire to make a buck and I intend to continue to boycott them (and I used to shop at the Staten Island Mall) for at least this season.

Companies like Macy’s dominate these malls. And Macy’s itself probably has built more of a reputation around Christmas than most any large retailer in the nation. The disconnect between corporate and these malls is just amazing.

Christmas is, of course, about Christ, not about Christmas trees or pretty decorations. But, for almost 200 years, they have been been an integral part of our celebration of his birth. These malls in their failed attempt to be “sensitive” actually showed a disrespect for Christians. It is a very sad commentary on where some believe our nation should be going.

Thus, we have another reason to shop locally along our streets and avenues. Bay Ridge has countless retailers who can provide most anything in the way of gifts or decorations for the season. And many of these stores and shops are owned by local residents, which just makes it even better.

* * *

So, I open up the papers (actually I turned on the iPad) and saw a story about a newborn dropped off in a manger scene at a Queens Catholic Church and, in the same news summary, a piece about a man urging the surrogate mother of his children to abort one of her expected triplets. I guess this is what they mean by the extremes in news coverage.

A state law aids in encouraging the drop-off of an unwanted infant. Fortunately, although the mother initially left the infant unreported, she did return and as such will avoid potential prosecution endangerment.

This father makes my skin crawl. What is he going to tell the two surviving kids 15 years from now? I aborted your brother or sister.

New York State is considering monetizing surrogacy. At present, New York does not allow for payment beyond expenses. An obvious concern if you were to allow paid surrogacy is the establishment of a contract that would, as it did in this case, specify the number of children and as such result in the breaking of a contract if you did not abide by its provisions.

The above-referenced situation happened in California in which paid surrogacy is allowed. The surrogate mother, in refusing to abort one of the triplets, could potentially be sued as breaching the contract which paid her $33,000.

In New York, the Empire State Pride Agenda has made the passage of a paid surrogate law its top priority. Many religious groups and, of course, all pro-life organizations are strongly opposed because of the dangerous outcomes such a law could potentially encourage.

This is real – not science fiction. If this upsets you, it is important that you contact your elected officials and express your concern.

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