Hotty indeed

I'm not even sure I have to write very much. This one kind of speaks for itself.

Here's the gist from a story on Facebook: After a six year run, Ole Miss has decided that their winter festival event should no longer be called, "A Grand Ole Christmas."

That's because organizer spokesperson Kaypounyers Maye, co-director of special events for the Student Activities Association (SAA), says "'Grand Ole Christmas' connoted too much Christianity on campus and so we wanted to have a more inclusive environment for the holidays this year." 

So this year, Ole Miss will celebrate "Hotty Toddy Holiday" in an effort to be more politically correct.

In addition, the school's Student Activities Association says it changed the theme colors to red, silver, and blue to "attract a more mature audience."

Did I mention this was Ole Miss? OLE MISS. Ole Miss where they had or are still having to pry the Rebel flag out of their cold hands? 

Reaction was pretty much instantaneous on social media.

One woman wrote this:

It seems that Christians are becoming the minority more and more everyday. I was going to say it makes me sad but I don't feel like minimizing my feelings today. So I'll just say that I'm starting get pretty pissed off! It usually takes a lot for me to get really angry or opinionated, but if I was attending Ole Miss you bet your ass I would be putting up a fight! When does it go from "inclusion" and "fairness" for other beliefs to outright discrimination against Christians? Am I going to see it in my lifetime when I am forced to sit in the back of the bus? Or see my grandkids segregated, not by choice, in Christian only schools? Or worse, fear for mine and my loved ones lives because we stand up for what we believe in? I pray to The Lord that it doesn't come to this!!!!!

I will let the curse word go, but surely you see the back of the bus, segregated, etc. as the most ironic words ever published?

Ole Miss officials, realizing fairly quickly that the football had been fumbled, issued a statement blaming incomplete and sometimes erroneous reports.

It said, in part, that on Dec. 2 the Student Activities Association created all sorts of Christmas activities including singing, ice skating and photos of Santa Claus.

The university’s vice chancellor of student affairs, Brandi Hephner LaBanc, was told by a student that his quote to the news media about the event, “Hotty Toddy Holiday,” was taken out of context and that he had insufficient time to give a thoughtful answer. He said the quote does not accurately express his Christian faith or the reason for the name given to the event.

“This is a 21-year-old student who wanted to make all students feel welcome and come to this annual event,” the vice chancellor said. “He is very sincere in his wish that he had expressed himself better. It is unfortunate that these reports, including repetition of incomplete information on social media, have misrepresented the nature of the event and his intent as a Christian to welcome people of all faiths and backgrounds."

In other words, oops -- didn't mean to say that.

Look, I don't get all wrapped up in the "holiday" versus "Christmas" stuff because, well, because the birth of Christ most probably didn't come on Dec. 25, certainly wasn't about wrapping paper and trees and lights. Jews celebrated Hanukkah, so to say Happy Holidays doesn't ruffle my feathers.

But on the same day I read about the whoophah up there in Rebels land, I read about a quarterback DeVante Kinkade who transferred. He said, "I just wanted to thank God and the university of Mississippi for the opportunity to get a(n) education, chase my dream and grow as a man. ... But I am transferring somewhere closer to Tx. And I could take care of my mom. I found Christ here at Ole Miss by far the best achievement of my life..."

Seems to me, there's just about the right amount of Christ on that campus.