Holiday cheers

An exiled Iranian now living in Paris likes America because "American culture always lets you express yourself." This Christmas season, even freedom of expression causes controversy. 500 million dollars are spent on inflatables (blow-ups). 16 billion is the industry total for holiday season decorations. The expenditures keep rising each year. My neighbor was ever so industrious and generous as to light up her house with strung lights and inflatable characters to be enjoyed by me, since she never ventures outdoors in the night. Her expenditure provides me eye candy from the vantage of my windows and my evening walks. The nasty games around our country, unfortunately, have begun. Accusations against displays such as ‘too much,’ ‘too tacky,’ ‘up too long,’ too noisy,’ ‘too religious,’ are accompanied by criminal behaviors such as vandalism and theft. Whatever each individual’s reason for the season, only common sense can resolve differences and maintain ‘peace on earth.’