Fast Becoming My Favorite Christmas Song

Sort of like Christmas around our house, not every year but every few years.




Hat tip to Mike McC for this one.

All the best,
Glenn B

Another Time Honored Tradition Destroyed By Personal Pride?

Once again, someone in the name of tolerance of his own beliefs, over and above the tolerance of the beliefs and traditions of others, has put an end, forever, to a time honored tradition. Jatenderpal Singh Bhullar reportedly is a Sikh and also a Scots Guardsman. What he did was decided to wear his turban (and his beard) instead of the traditional headgear of the Scots Guards - the bearskin - while on duty outside of Buckingham Palace in once merry olde England. So 180 years of tradition has been destroyed by a single individual who apparently because of personal feelings decided to strike out against tradition. Why do I say "...apparently because of personal feelings...", I will let the reported words of Mr. Singh Bhullar speak for themselves and for his motive for his bringing down a great tradition of the country he supposedly serves:
 
"Conducting public duties while being a practising Sikh and wearing my turban is a great honour for me.
 
I am very proud to be a member of the Household Division and to be the first Sikh Guardsman to mount guard in a turban will be the best thing in my life, especially as a member of the Scots Guards.

The regiment is full of history, as is my religion."
 
Did you see - it is an honor for him to wear his turban, and I am very proud, and it will be the best thing in my life, and the regiment as opposed to my religion - it evidently is all or mostly about him. He even went so far as to call himself a Sikh Guardsman. Unless I am mistaken, he is not a Sikh Guardsman; as far as I can determine, he is a Sikh who is a Scots Guardsman and one who put being a Sikh before being a guardsman. I am not saying he should not practice his religion. I am saying that he chose to serve England in the Scots Guard and in so choosing, I think, he should, while on duty, honor their traditions as have all other Sikhs, who were also Scots Guardsmen, by wearing the bearskin and not a turban. Instead, he seemingly has put his pride in his religion, culture and self, above his service, duty and honoring the traditions of the country in whose military he serves. It makes me wonder just how he would react if the country he now serves ever went to war with the homeland of his ancestors and birthplace of his religion. 

Of course, that is all just my own opinion, and everybody has one, so what do you think?

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9737480/Sikh-soldier-first-guardsman-to-parade-outside-Buckingham-palace-wearing-turban.html 

All the best,
Glenn B