Letters: Comcast show excludes more than it includes

IJUST READ Ronnie Polaneczky's column on the music at the Comcast Center. She quotes Jeanne Leonard as saying "the songs were chosen to be inclusive of all Philadelphians."

It seems that means they're including everyone except those who celebrate the birth of Jesus. I'm pretty sure there are some Christians left in Philadelphia. I wonder if they would exclude African music if they were doing a Kwanzaa show? Just to be inclusive.

Tom Bell, Philadelphia

"He was born in an obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was 30. He then became an itinerant preacher. He never held an office. He never had a family of his own or owned a house. He never went to college. He had no credentials, but himself.

"Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned have not affected life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life of Jesus."

It truly is a sad statement on us as a nation that we fear, or are offended by, the simple utterance of the name of this wonderful man.

Thomas Regan, Narberth

Thank you, Ronnie, for a dose of reality. Comcast is yet another company skewing the meaning of Christmas with political correctness.

Christmas is an inclusive holiday - it includes all those celebrating the birth of Jesus. Without that "Joy to the World" "Away in a Manger" on that "Silent Night," grandma wouldn't have gotten run over by Santa's reindeer during the 12 Days of Christmas.

Bryan Flannery, Chalfont

I'd like to respond to Ronnie Polaneczky's "So, where's the 'J' word?"

Good question.

This society is getting goofy. Some people forget the reason we have such a wonderful season each year. It seems like they're only worried about how much money they can make, or about offending a few individuals if you use the word Christmas.

What about the majority of people who get offended when you leave out the word Christmas or the "J" word? No one seems to care about them.

Christmas, my friends, is exactly what it is. It is the birthday of Jesus, who was born in a manger to a virgin named Mary and her carpenter husband, Joseph. Leaving out "Jesus" leaves us with no reason for this wonderful season. Case closed.

Diane McDowell, Philadelphia

An innocent child?

After reading about the family murdered in their sleep in Hunting Park, my jaw hit the floor.

I'm appalled to think that an adult could willingly attempt to murder a child. The 5-year-old boy was shot twice in the back (a cowardly act all by itself).

I can understand why people carry guns, and I can also understand (but not condone) why some people can commit murder. But what perplexes me is how an adult can look at a sleeping child and squeeze the trigger.

Perhaps murdering an adult is easy on their conscience, but an attempt on the child should guarantee them a first-class ticket to hell.

Terry Saskin, Bensalem