I am not one who disbelieves that there are attacks against Christmas and Christianity, both here and throughout the world. For example, Christians were forced to convert or die in Mosul when ISIS invaded. And the decline from over 1.5 Million to under 300,000 Christians in Iraq as a whole has happened in just a few years. So yes, there are attacks on Christians. But it gets a bit crazy when we worry about a cup. I understand sometimes little things turn into big things but here’s a few tidbits.
1. The Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Majority Stock Owner (Non-institutional) of Starbucks is Jewish, not sure why he was ever expected to make Christmas cups.
2. If you are surprised at secularism or liberalism from Starbucks at this point, you have no right to be angry, other than at yourself, as they have a long history of supporting socially liberal and secular issues.
3. The same people over-butt-hurt about this are the same people that probably have slammed Starbucks in the past for commercializing Christmas. If you are a “Keep Christ in Christmas-er”, you should be happy Starbucks is no longer profiting from a jaded invoking of your Christian sentiments.
I’m not someone that says “there are bigger things to be worried about” because that implies we need to rank everything from 1 to a bazillion and only the top things are things we should be worried about. But this issue is just a way to sell papers and air time and re-ignite the conservative Christian political base through misdirection. It really isn’t any sort of slight to Christmas and you should be angry that you were misled in that way. Ultimately if you don’t like it, go to Dunkin Donuts, their coffee is better anyway.
On the other hand, something coming close to Christmas, marked by a holiday tomorrow is a burning issue – Veteran Homelessness in the United States. Veterans Day and Christmas both occur when weather is coldest and the homeless need the most help. Six Years ago, President Obama pledged to end Veteran’s Homelessness by the end of this year. He didn’t meet that goal. But to give credit where due, far more has been done than the many years before and the rate of homelessness has dropped by about 33%. Unfortunately around 50,000 Vets remain on the street. I for one, am glad it’s gotten better, but more can be done.
Tomorrow is Veterans Day. Instead of beating up Starbucks for Christmas, Beating up Obama for not fully ending homelessness singlehandedly (because everything is his fault), why not stand up and make a Homeless Vet’s Christmas better? Show them through example (Christian or otherwise), not by posting misdirected anger. And if you really want to boycott Starbucks, use the money you were going to spend there. A plain brewed Grande coffee at Starbucks is around $2.10. Let’s round off to $2.50 with tip. If you only do it during work days, that’s $12.50 a week. A month of Starbucks is $50. A year, $600. Donate some or all of that to help Veterans Homelessness. That year of coffee can get one or more homeless vets and their families off the streets for good, here’s how:
Www.VeteransMatter.Org. (A subsidiary of 1Matters dedicated to ending veterans homelessness) They are one of the brilliant charities that work WITH the government. HUD and the VA have a program for Veteran homelessness called Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH). VASH finds homeless vets housing and helps pay the first one to two years of rent after an initial security deposit. VASH needs the Veteran, or other charities and agencies to provide the security deposit. Not debating chicken or egg, but VeteransMatter helps right there, directly and in real time. They pay the security deposit for those needing the funds. If VeteransMatter has the funds and VASH calls needing a deposit, NOT A SINGLE VETERAN IS DECLINED. VeteransMatter helps get those veterans over that last hurdle rather than giving up in failure and has a 100% success rate of getting Vets through VASH in housing and a 91% long-term (over 1-2 years in housing) success rate of the homeless Vet staying in housing.
Tomorrow VeteransMatter is having a charity drive called 11/11@7, with events held in multiple places around the United States. So if you want to make a Veterans holiday a bit brighter and make the season matter through your personal example instead of the color of a cup, attend one of those rallys, or donate.
Money raised regionally is spent in that region or you can donate for “greatest need” which sends the money to the local VeteransMatter with the greatest need.
The local rally for the Mid-Atlantic is tomorrow at
The American Legion Post 176, 6520 Amherst Ave., Springfield, VA 22150,
They will have a Flag Ceremony at 5:30 and then later a rally with food, drinks, raffle and silent auction. They set a goal to raise 30,000 for local vet homelessness and are just over half-way there.
For more information on attending –http://www.firstgiving.com/1Matters/mid-atlantic
I hope to see you there. And if you can’t be there and wish to donate your monthly coffee, here is a donation link to the pledge page of a friend –VetsMatter 11/11@7 Mid-Atlantic Donation
If you prefer donate to the “Operation Greatest Need” if you are not in the Mid-Atlantic.
http://veteransmatter.org/do…/operationgreatestneeddonation/
Please share this as much as you like, and donate your time, goods and hard earned Coffee…er…Cash.
Thanks. And Happy Birthday Fellow Marines. Semper Fi.
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