Washington, DC - Black Friday shoppers throughout America affirmed the hustle and madness of Christmas. Mall shopping was down by ten percent but zaniness seemed to be up by at least ten percent or more. Viral videos of mall fights and huge crowds did not entice hesitant shoppers to jump into the weekend fray of traffic jams and shopping craziness.
Most Americans did not break a stride last weekend when it came to pursuing routine shopping and travel activities. However, the news kept us on edge with high alerts about the ever lurking possibility of terrorism.
Ever since September 11, 2001 Americans have rightly lived with paranoia of imminent danger. We are a bit scared about flying but we do it anyway. We have become a bit scared about concert and sports events but mostly we go anyway. We have become nervous about public crowds such as the Boston Marathon or a parade. We just don't know what might happen. Some idiot who has deemed his or her own life worthless may show up anywhere with the goal of killing anyone. It's just crazy and scary.
Radical Militant Muslims who utilize their own slick media resources do everything possible to continue this fear permeation of our society. I don't want to give them anything but sadly they have been successful. They have succeeded in fear mongering. However, they have not succeeded in halting the American way of life nor the French way of life.
The American people will not stop flying or traveling the highways. Americans will go to the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. They will go to Times Square and they will attend the sporting events throughout our country. They will also go to the malls and shop on Black Friday. The only reason the store traffic was down was because more people are shopping online which was up ten percent last weekend.
The first Christmas was scary. Mary and Joseph were flat broke. They had tax to pay. They had a baby coming into the world. She turned up pregnant before they were married and nobody bought the Holy Ghost story. In the meantime King Herod who was scary in his own right ordered all the male babies under two years old to be murdered. He didn't want any competition from a baby who might take his place. We can hardly imagine all the emotions that this peasant family of Mary, Joseph and the baby experiened. Since then Christmas has presented challenges and some new anxieties for most of us.
We have growing fears in America. Terrorism, joblessness, taxes; life's uncertainties abound for all of us. The first family of Christmas didn't let the scary stuff stop them from experiencing the wonders of that first Bethlehem night. Life for them wasn't easy.
We have to keep moving and living strong in America. We have to deal with and overcome this scary stuff today as we rediscover and celebrate the joy and real meaning of Christmas in our hearts and lives.
Glenn Mollette is an American Syndicated Columnist and Author. He is the author of eleven books and read in all fifty states.
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