Good evening Mr. Johnson,

My name is Barrie Seigle and I am a current undergraduate student at Michigan State University. One of my friends is a student at GVSU and she posted an article on facebook that was found in The Lanthorn. The article titled, “There Is Only Room For One Holiday” is completely racist, anti-semetic, and generally disturbing. It is one thing for this person to be of this opinion and rant about it on facebook or another social networking site, but when you okay this for a publication, it makes it seem as though being of this mindset is valid. Granted, it is an editorial, but how you let something like this get published is astounding. There is an overwhelming Christian majority around the Grand Rapids area. People who do not celebrate Christmas, I’m sure, already feel tension during this time of year. I recall having visited your campus 4 years ago when I was making my decisions on where I would attend university. It was a beautiful place, but I was nervous about how my Jewish background would be received. Clearly, those fears have been validated. I request that you not only remove this editorial, but your newspaper make a public apology to those who were obviously targeted by this article. I mean, honestly, the article isn’t even intelligent writing. “Hanukkahland” and “Kwanzaa City”? It’s absurd and extremely rude. It is deplorable that you would accept and publish an article like this. You and your newspaper owe everyone an apology, Christians included. it is unfair that this person make a sweeping generalization about everyone who celebrates Christmas, as I’m sure there are plenty of Christians who enjoy spreading holiday cheer, not just Christmas cheer.

Thank you,

BARRIE SEIGLE